What Blooms in Shadow
by PaddieFrog
Summary: In the dog days of summer, a happy event sparks a terrible realization in Toriel regarding her immortality and the future consequences it could entail. She knows there is only one way for her to age again, to avoid such a fate. But things are no longer as simple as they were over a century ago. (Soriel, Sequel to All These Broken Pieces)
1. Spark

((Author's note: Hello all! I suspect most of you are likely coming from my last fic that I finished up around a month ago. If you are, than thank you so much for the amazing support on that fic. Seriously, you guys were so kind to me and gave me so much inspiration. I hope you will enjoy this sequel! ^^

If you happen to have not read the first fic and have stumbled upon this by chance, you may be a bit confused about some established things or miss some references to the last story if you choose to read it without reading the first fic, but I am trying to write it in such a way that you could potentially still follow along. If you want the incredibly brief synopsis, due to a myriad of events, the main cast of Undertale now know about the Resets and the current identities of Chara and Asriel (spirit sharing Frisk's body/Flowey respectively) and through a lot of impactful talks, existential crises, unexpected events, and the sharing of each other's life stories, Sans and Toriel ended up bonding further at the end of it all and officially began dating.

If you think reading about any of that would interest you, I would recommend checking out the original fic (All These Broken Pieces) which can be fond on my page. Just a fair warning though, its pretty darn long and covers some darker themes in more detail. If you'd rather not read that, then I hope you can enjoy this fic nonetheless.

Potential warnings: This fic will eventually contain themes of pregnancy, very vague/brief references to sexual content (or content that could pass as such), some discussion/mentions of topics of depression and mental illness, mentions of child abuse in certain characters' pasts, and references to (past) child death, along with some potential depictions of violence in connection to past or current events.

Another note: This fic and the previous fic were outlined before the release of Deltarune, so there will be no significant references to it or the theories regarding certain characters that it has inspired. (Though a subtle reference or two could potentially be included at some point :3c)

I am hoping to put out a decently sized chapter every 1-2 weeks when possible. This fic will probably be fairly long based on what I have outlined, so I will likely be working on it for a while. (Maybe I will finish it before the full release of Deltarune! We shall see~)

Thanks if you actually read all that, and hope you enjoy ^^))

...

The realization began to take shape in Toriel's mind when she met some of the first monsters to be born to a life of freedom on the surface.

It had started off small, just a thought that had nagged her briefly before being pushed aside to the corners of her mind. Stored away, but not forgotten. Indeed, as she spent more time with the little ones and marveling at their tiny, vibrant souls, it continued to prod her, demanding attention she was reluctant to give.

The children in question were those of Dogamy and Dogaressa. Eight beautiful little puppies, all plump bundles of soft white fur. The dog couple had been bringing them to meet just about everyone they could think of now that the pups were old enough to safely be taken out and about. One could hardly picture a more proud set of parents, gushing over their new additions with enough love, enthusiasm and joyful tears to have just about anyone caught up in the happy event. And with the litter numbering eight in total, there were plenty of little pups to be cooing over.

Eight precious little souls who would never have to grow up in the cramped, dark, and so often hopeless confines of the Underground. They would be among the first to never know such a life, growing up from infancy into adulthood under the blessed light of the sun that had once been denied to monsterkind for centuries. Such a feat was more than enough cause for celebration for just about any monster. As such, the puppies' arrival led to multiple parties at Grillby's and elsewhere that led long into the night for both regulars, friends of the new parents, and those simply caught up in the excitement.

In the often troubled times monsterkind had been experiencing whilst they adapted to their new lives aboveground and did their best to integrate peacefully with humans, the news of Newer Home's first newborn monsters was a needed reason to rejoice.

The home Toriel shared with her children and the skeleton brothers had been the dog couple's stop of choice on that hot summer day in early August. Part of her had been expecting them, as she had heard of their various similar visits all over the monster capital, but she was still surprised when they came knocking on her door.

She had been just about to start cooking dinner, already halfway through tying on her apron when the doorbell rang. With Frisk and Flowey playing in the backyard with Papyrus and the small, white dog and with there being little hope of rousing Sans from his napping in the living room, it fell to her to answer the door.

When she did so, half expecting to be greeted by Kid or any of the other regulars at the house, she quickly found herself the recipient of a crushing hug.

"Toriel! It's so good to see you!" The deliverer of the hug yipped happily, revealing themself to be Dogaressa.

Her husband Dogamy was visible just behind her, looking equally enthused with his tail wagging a mile a minute behind him. It seemed to Toriel that there was something else behind him, something he was resting his paw on, but at that moment she was too focused on having the life squeezed out of her to give it much thought.

She was taken off guard, but seeing as she and Dogaressa had built up something of a bond over the past few months during the dog monster's pregnancy, through advice and sharing experiences, it wasn't too out of the ordinary. Toriel was just glad the dog monster didn't try and lick her face as well, as wasn't too uncommon with the former royal guard canines. She kindly returned the hug in a far gentler manner until Dogaressa released her.

"Hello Dogaressa, you are looking well." She said warmly, looking the dog monster over. "I have not seen you since-"

She paused as the dog monster's notable lack of a distended stomach became apparent to her. In that moment, realization and remembrance struck, and her eyes began to sparkle with nearly equal excitement as that of the Dogi.

"Oh! Oh my goodness, have you brought over your little ones?" Toriel asked, feeling her soul all but leap with joy.

There were few things in the world that could compare to getting to interact with babies. Toriel had an natural inclination towards maternity as it was, driving her love of teaching and raising her own children. But it had been a very, _very_ long time since she had had a chance to interact with a baby. Not since… well… her own son had been born. To say the prospect of meeting Dogaressa's puppies excited her would be an understatement, and set her own short, fluffy tail to wagging. That was usually something she'd feel quite self-conscious about, but she was too happy in that moment to care.

Dogaressa nodded enthusiastically, clapping her paws together.

"Yes yes! We have brought our precious puppies to meet you and the rest of your family! Just as we promised!" She yipped, before stepping aside so that her husband could wheel whatever was behind him up to where Toriel could see.

The sight that met her eyes was both comical and utterly adorable in every way. Dogamy was pushing an oversized baby carriage decorated with patterns of bones and tiny paw prints. Inside the carriage were the beautiful little puppies in question, a pile of tiny, sleepy bundles of chub and white fur. They were all dressed in striped onesies, as was the tradition for all monster children at this stage, all black and white, with different colored satin collars that were perhaps how they were told apart. Indeed, aside from a one or two with small splashes of black on their muzzles or tail tip, and one with a spot of brown over one eye, all of them shared their parents' fully white fur.

They were all dozing, but a few had begun to stir from the noise of the conversation. One of the pups nearest Toriel, with quite a lot of bedhead, blinked open their dark brown eyes and looked up at her, tilting their head slightly. The sight made Toriel's soul feel like it was being squeezed, but in a good way. She wanted nothing more than to pick up the pup and dote on them, but she resisted for the moment.

"Oh… stars above… they are so beautiful you two." She gushed in a mindfully quiet voice, forcing herself to tear her eyes away from the little bundles of joy to speak to the Dogi again.

She stepped to the side so that the couple had access into the house.

"Come in, come in!" She insisted cheerfully. "I will go fetch the others, they will be so excited to meet them!"

Dogamy and Dogaressa beamed and carefully wheeled the carriage full of precious cargo inside, heading for the living room. Figuring there was a chance Sans would wake up for such an occasion, or would be woken by one of the dog monsters, Toriel headed for the backyard to call Papyrus and her children.

Upon opening the door, she spotted Papyrus and the small, white dog first. The animal was rushing about the skeleton's feet, yapping and trying to jump up and grab Papyrus' scarf. Papyrus clearly was not caring for it, and trying to distract the dog with bone attacks to no avail.

"DARN IT ALL! WHY DO THESE GAMES OF FETCH ALWAYS END IN ME BEING THE OBJECT OF THE FETCHING?!" The skeleton exclaimed, narrowly dodging the dog as it leaped up once more.

Frisk was watching the scene from a short distance away, giggling softly into their hand. They were holding Flowey's pot with the other, though the flower monster seemed far more bored than amused. Toriel didn't linger there simply observing long though, all too eager to tell them all of their wonderful new guests.

"Papyrus, children!" She called over to them, managing to gain all of their attentions.

Papyrus stopped trying to escape the dog, skidding to a stop to look over at Toriel. Unfortunately for him, that gave the animal the opportunity he needed to finally jump up and successfully grab onto the skeleton's scarf, leaving him dangling there with an ever wagging tail. Papyrus let out a frustrated groan, but continued to focus on Toriel.

She hurriedly waved them over, smiling brightly all the while.

"Come inside and wash up quick!" She insisted, the excitement evident in her voice. "The Dogi have come over with their new puppies!"

All at once, Frisk and Papyrus' expressions lit up exponentially and they were rushing over to her, the still scarf chewing dog seemingly forgotten. Flowey's eyes widened at her words, but the emotions behind the action were not clear. He seemed more occupied being annoyed at being bounced around do to Frisk's running than anything else, but there was certainly interest shining in his beady black eyes.

Papyrus was the first to reach her, skidding to a stop just in front of her and looking to be all but vibrating from barely contained elation. His sockets sparkled as he brought both hands to the sides of his skull.

"OH HOW WONDERFUL! I'VE BEEN SO EAGER TO MEET THEM ALL THIS TIME! THE WAIT WAS MAKING ME TOTALLY BONKERS!" He exclaimed, clearly trying to resist the urge to jump up and down in place.

He then struck a dramatic pose, and his scarf waved as though caught in a sudden gust of wind, waving the dog along with it.

"I SHALL IMPRINT MYSELF UPON THEM AS A ROLE MODEL THEY CAN LOOK UP TO AS THEY GROW THROUGH THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS! THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL INSPIRE THIS GENERATION TO BE THEIR BEST SELVES AS WELL AS THE NEXT!"

Toriel giggled at the display but held up a finger to indicate for him to be quiet.

"Shhh, my friend. I understand your excitement truly, but you must be quiet around the little ones. I am sure you do not wish to scare them." She reminded him gently.

Papyrus gasped and covered his mouth with both hands, despite the fact that his voice was produced by magic and thus, wouldn't be muffled much by the act.

"OH! OF COURSE NOT." He said, in as mindfully quiet a tone as Papyrus could manage, before dropping his hands again. "VERY WELL, I WILL SIMPLY HAVE TO ENSURE MY VOICE STAYS AT THE OPTIMUM BABY MEETING LEVEL. HOW DOES THIS SOUND?"

Toriel nodded, figuring it was enough to at least not startle the little ones.

"Very good, my friend." She said as she opened the door wider to allow them inside. "Go on and wash your hands well in the kitchen sink, then come meet me and the others in the living room."

As Frisk and Papyrus entered, she directed a remark towards the flower monster in her child's arms in particular.

"That goes for you and your vines too Asriel." She said in a lighthearted tone.

That name caused Frisk to pause in their walking, and for Flowey to visibly tense up. Papyrus, not catching on, just continued on to the kitchen with a happy spring in his step. After a moment, Flowey looked up at her with an expression that was as irritated as it was sorrowful.

"Mom… I told you. I don't want to be called that." He said quietly, without the cruel bite his words used to have so often in the past.

Toriel winced inwardly at her own carelessness, shooting her child an apologetic look. Even now, she still was adjusting to having her two previously lost children here in her home again since they had revealed themselves to her, as well as all the changes and new aspects that came with that. Flowey may have begun to consistently wear a face more similar to Asriel's nowadays, with his familiar green eyes, fangs, soft white fur, and short muzzle visible most of the time, but he still insisted on keeping his old nickname and he still claimed to be incapable of feeling.

It made adhering to her child's wishes more difficult, but that was a small price to pay for having him back in her life in any form. Her mistake was still not something to be glanced over, especially in light of all the progress her son had made in improving his overall behavior.

"Ah yes, my apologies sweetheart." She said, giving him an remorseful look. "I was not thinking... "

Flowey didn't reply other than to make a vague sound of acknowledgment and pick at the dirt in his pot with a leaf, but he at least didn't seem too upset by her slip of the tongue. When the flower monster didn't make any further remarks, Toriel turned her attention back to Frisk.

"I assume you will give Chara a chance to interact with the puppies too, yes?" She asked, rapidly regaining her earlier enthusiasm.

Frisk nodded eagerly, flashing a smile that had a bit of a teasing edge to it. They shifted Flowey to the curve of one arm so they could sign as best they could. Some of the hand signals came out rough, but Toriel managed to understand them.

(They will probably deny it once they are out, but they are super excited.) Frisk signed, grin widening as Toriel could only imagine Chara internally giving them a hard time for revealing that.

She giggled into a paw before ushering her children forward into the house.

"I am glad to hear it." She said warmly, diverting from their briefly shared path to head back towards the living room. "I will see you all in there. And remember, quiet voices."

With that, she stepped into the living room once more, feeling her enthusiasm for the situation at hand flood over her soul again. Dogamy and Dogaressa were sitting on her couch, with the carriage full of pups having been separated from the wheeled component and set on the coffee table. The Dogi were tending to their litter, and looked up as Toriel entered the room again.

"Oh good, you're back!" Dogaressa yipped, though still rather softly. "The puppies are all starting to wake up after that relaxing ride over had them all zonked out. They are ready for lots of snuggles and pets now. Aren't you my puppy-wuppies?~"

That affectionate bit of baby talk, silly as it was, reminded Toriel of precious days long past. She watched, all but enraptured as the dog monster leaned down and nuzzled the pup she was currently holding in her lap, eliciting them to wriggle a bit and open their tiny mouth in a comparatively huge yawn. The act was accompanied with the smallest of squeaks, sweet enough to just about bring a tear to any human or monster's eye.

Dogamy had already succumbed in that regard, staring down at his children with openly watery, sparkling eyes.

"The carriage ride always works good for that." He sniffed, trying to continue to carry on a normal conversation whilst being overcome by emotions. "But unlike the puppies, we couldn't get a certain someone to wake up so easily."

He pointed with a still tearful chuckle at the lump at the other end of the couch, curled up firmly in a blanket like a plush cocoon. Soft snoring emanated from it, confirming that the monster in question was indeed asleep. Toriel let out a little sigh of amusement and exasperation, moving over to take a better look at him. Part of her had been a bit worried with how tightly he was curled up, wondering if he was having a nightmare or was unwell in some other way, but his features were relaxed and serene, and he still had his usual silly grin spread wide on what was visible of his face.

"Sans dating you has not changed him I see." Dogaressa commented with a giggle and a small wag of her tail. "He is still his wonderfully lazy self."

Toriel returned Dogaressa's smile, even though the dog monster was actually wrong about that, more wrong than she could possibly know. The amount of changed she and Sans both had went through… no… her _whole family_ had went through since the time she and Sans had first begun to pursue a deeper relationship were too numerous to name. While it wasn't truly the act of being in a relationship with her that had sparked the changes, it had certainly played a big role in all the life altering events that had followed. But such things were not the thoughts to stew over with something so much more exciting to focus on.

An idea struck her after a few moments of looking over her dear skeleton and tapping her chin with a claw, one that brought a small sparkle to her eye. She leaned over and whispered it to Dogaressa, who immediately giggled and agreed before getting Dogamy in on it as well. Once Toriel had gone over and gently moved Sans' sleeping form so that he was laying on his back, The new father in turn carefully handed Toriel one of the puppies, the one with the blue collar and the tiniest dot of black above their nose.

Toriel could have immediately begin doting on the little one as her soul so desired, but she had a plan to see through first. Delicately, she laid the little pup on the curve of Sans' ribcage. That sight alone was enough to make her soul flutter from the cute factor alone, but then the tiny monster began to sniff at Sans' sleeping form curiously. They crawled over closer to his skull, sniffing that more thoroughly and wagging their fluffy tail a little. Sans mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, but didn't react beyond that yet.

Finally, the pup began to lick Sans' face, the result Toriel was hoping for. She thought it would be an amusing and cute way to rouse and surprise him, but she feared now the little ones' tongue wasn't quite big enough to be noticed by the well known deep sleeper. But after the pup began to try and nibble on Sans' nasal ridge, that was finally enough to begin to wake up the lazybones. He grumbled sleepily and a weakly investigatory hand moved up to try and find the source of what was using him as a chew toy.

When his hand brushed soft fur, he paused and drew it back a bit in surprise before moving it over the pup's soft head once again, likely noticing it was quite a bit smaller than the usual small, white animal he was used to petting. It was that which prompted him to slowly begin to ease his sockets open.

"wha...?" He questioned drowsily, which was met with a good deal of muffled giggling from Toriel and the Dogi.

Sans didn't seem to notice, taken in by the sight of the little bundle of white fur on his chest. The puppy became more excited at the sight of Sans moving and went in for more nibbles and licks, tiny tail wiggling in a small wag. Perhaps the little one already was gaining a liking for the flavor of bones. The skeleton let out a confused chuckle, flinching back from the adorable assault on his face and using his hands to hold the pup up and over him to get a better look.

"hey now, where'd you come from lil guy?" He asked with a small sparkle to his eyelights. "i'm _paw-_ sitively sure i didn't order any sorta wake up call. 'specially from a mysterious pup."

The little one didn't offer any answer to Sans, simply turned their head to chew on Sans' phalanges. He chuckled again at that, playfully wiggling one of them to entertain the little pup further before finally turning his head to look at everyone else in the room.

"How nice of you to finally join us, my dear." Toriel said, in a lightly teasing manner. "Dogamy and Dogaressa have come to visit and let us meet their children at last."

Sans' eyelights brightened further at that, the full idea of what was happening setting in. He carefully adjusted to hold the pup in his arms more properly and eased himself up into a sitting position.

"so i gathered." He said, seemingly having trouble looking away from the tiny monster he was holding and teasing them with a phalange again. "wow you two, you sure weren't kidding when you said they were cute. and this lil guy's the spitting image of both of ya."

Both the Dogi lit up at that, thumping their tails against the couch and floor respectively.

"Aren't they?" Dogamy gushed, succumbing to tears again. "I just can't believe how beautiful they all are."

Dogamy then dramatically hugged the basket of puppies, overcome with love for his little ones. Most softly yipped or whined up at their father in response and began to playfully tug on his ears. If it hurt at all, he clearly couldn't care less. Toriel could remember what that felt like, and could relate to those feelings all too well.

Dogaressa giggled warmly at the sight, taking a moment then to snap a picture of the scene on her phone decorated with colorful paw print stickers before turning back to Sans.

"That one is named Dogathan." She said, pointing to the pup he was holding and glowing with maternal pride.

Toriel smiled at the name and did her best to keep a giggle from escaping. She hadn't been expecting that, but in hindsight it really should have been obvious. And she had certainly heard far more unusual names in her time.

"ah…" Sans said, also clearly fighting back a more openly amused smile as well. "so they all have dog in their name?"

"Of course! It is a family tradition." Dogamy said proudly, still acting as a living chew toy. "Or at least… it is now."

Sans grinned at that with a single soft chuckle before shifting the little pup he was holding to one arm and easing himself up and off the couch. Toriel watched him as he stepped over to the basket of monster puppies, looking them all over with an ever brightening smile. Dogathan began to chew on one of his hoodie's drawstrings, but like Dogamy, Sans didn't pay it any mind.

"heya pups, glad to finally meetcha." He greeted the little ones, as though they were any other monster. He then tilted his head a bit with a playful shimmer to his eyelights when they didn't promptly respond. "what's the matter, don't you dogs know how to greet a new pal?"

He promptly offered his free hand to the puppies as if he expected them to shake it back. They only sniffed at and licked it of course, all of which didn't seem to deter the skeleton. Then with a little shake of his wrist, a plumply inflated whoopee cushion fell out of Sans' sleeve into the pile of puppies. It only took a moment for one of the more energetic of the group to jump onto it, resulting in a drawn out sound of artificial flatulence as the pup slowly deflated the cushion.

There was silence for a moment, then the sound of Toriel trying and mostly failing to hold back her laughter, resulting in a series of quite undignified snorts and muffled giggles. Sans just grinned wider as he noticed her reaction, cheekbones coloring a bit as he chuckled along with her. The Dogi both smiled but sighed dramatically in vexation, having grown quite familiar and used to Sans' antics over the years, both under and above ground.

"UGH, OF COURSE YOU WOULD FIND SOME WAY TO RUIN THIS WONDERFUL MOMENT SANS." A new voice spoke over Toriel and Sans' giggling, in a notably more subdued tone than usual.

Toriel looked over to see Papyrus, the owner of the voice, and Frisk holding Flowey's pot standing in the entryway to the room. The small white dog was perched between Papyrus' boots, tiny tail wagging excitedly. Frisk didn't seemed distracted from the situation at hand by Sans' silly prank, more than used to the skeleton's antics by that point.

They carefully set Flowey on the coffee table beside the basket of puppies before going over to greet the Dogi. Toriel watched the flower monster look over the infant monsters with an air of his usual disinterest, but she could tell he was in fact curious about what he was seeing. Memories of what he was capable of in the past briefly flared up in her, but she smothered them down as always. She trusted her son's vow to do what he could to better himself and knew he wouldn't be a threat to the little ones. Interacting with them could even be a good experience for him.

One of puppies leaned their head over the rim and stared back at Flowey, tilting their head in curiosity. They then wagged their tail a bit and leaned forward to try and sniff the flower monster, but Flowey pulled back with an uneasy expression. He then waddled his pot back enough that the puppy couldn't reach him and turned away with an annoyed sigh.

Frisk and Papyrus clearly didn't share in Flowey's disdain for the pups, both joining him then in taking in the lovely sight of the basket of puppies, but with far more cooing and gushing than Flowey would ever be caught doing. The small white dog also stood on his hind legs to look into the basket, and monster dog and animal dog met each other's gaze with interest. Though in all honesty, in light of what the "annoying dog" had shown himself to be capable of in the past, Toriel sometimes wondered if he was more than just an average canine.

Whatever the case may be, it seemed that the two kinds of dog recognized each other as some sort of kin, exchanging soft yaps and tiny whines of greeting respectively. From their place next to the small white dog, Frisk excitedly looked over at Dogamy then and signed up to him.

(May we please hold them?) They asked with a bright smile.

Dogamy blinked a few times, looking a bit taken aback, and then embarrassed. Clearly he was having trouble deciphering what Frisk was trying to say.

"Um, s-sorry Frisk, but uh…" He stuttered, before looking helplessly over at Papyrus, who was more than happy to help.

"OH! FRISK IS ASKING IF THEY MAY HOLD ONE OF THE PUPPIES." He explained cheerfully.

Dogamy then perked up, looking relieved as he knelt back down towards the basket.

"Oh, yes of course!" He affirmed as he picked up the smallest puppy, the one with the pale spot of brown over their right eye. "Here you go, this is Dogerra. Just be sure to support them properly. They are usually quite laid back, and they love pets very much."

Frisk was all too happy to listen to those instructions, carefully cradling the puppy with both arms and using a finger to gently pet their small head. This pup did indeed seem more subdued than the others, and simply gave Frisk's finger a lazy lick before yawning and settling against them. The child giggled softly and carried the little monster over to the armchair where they could settle them on their lap. Dogaressa took note of Papyrus then, who was all but vibrating in place as they watched Frisk gently play with the puppy in their lap.

"I bet you want to hold one too, don't you Papyrus?" She asked, scooping up the pup she was currently holding and carrying them over to him. "I can't blame you, who could resist these precious pups?"

She punctuated that last part by giving her little one a nuzzle and a lick across the forehead, a gesture that made all the fur there lay flat. The puppy wrinkled their nose a bit and then sneezed, resulting in many quiet "awwws" to fill the room in its wake. Once the reveling in the cute moment passed, Dogaressa carefully handed the pup over to Papyrus.

"Here, this is Dogthany. They tend to be the most energetic of the bunch, I think they'll get along with you quite well." She said, helping her puppy get settled in the skeleton's arms.

Papyrus looked rather nervous once he was actually holding the little monster, a few beads of sweat forming on his skull. He stayed stock still, as if he were afraid any movement at all might jostle the little one. Of course, for a monster like Papyrus, staying still and admitting he was unsure of what to do in any given situation were both things that were rather difficult. Thankfully, his brother came to his rescue, even before Toriel could.

"come sit here bro." Sans said, patting the space on the couch beside him. "so i can see the _paw_ -some lil guy you've got there."

"AH O-OKAY, YES." Papyrus stuttered out, somewhat awkwardly ambling over and carefully lowering himself down until he was sitting beside Sans.

He was still rather stiff though and the puppy kept shifting in an attempt to get more comfortable.

"like this bro." Sans said, demonstrating to his brother how to more properly hold the little monster. "and loosen up a bit k?, the pup'll be fine. see look, they're wanting to play with ya."

The puppy was playfully nipping at one of Papyrus' red gloves, trying to pull at the hemline. Papyrus was quite attached to all the elements of his "battle body" though, and carefully pulled the glove off with his free hand so that the little monster couldn't reach it. As a sort of penance, the skeleton offered one of his phalanages to them instead, even though he was far more reluctant to do so than Sans. The puppy took him up on the offer and happily nibbled at the digit.

"WOWIE! SUCH SHARP TEETH FOR A SUCH A SMALL MONSTER." Papyrus commented with something of an amused smile before returning to his usual tone."I SUPPOSE THEY WILL JUST HAVE TO LEARN LATER ON THAT BITING IS CONSIDERED QUITE RUDE IN MODERN SOCIETY."

Despite what he said, he continued letting the puppy use him as a chew toy without complaint. Toriel watched the endearing scene with a warm smile, enjoying seeing Papyrus interact with the little one. But then something seemed to occur to the skeleton that made him look back at his brother suspiciously.

"HOW EXACTLY DO _YOU_ KNOW ABOUT BABIES SANS?" He asked, moving his phalange then to stroke the puppy's fuzzy head.

Sans looked a bit taken aback by the question, pausing in his own petting of the pup currently in his care. He looked down at the little monster for a moment and they peered back up at him as if wondering why the petting stopped. He blinked, looking as though he were trying to recall something, then appeared to give up on the task and snapped back to his previous routine. He lightly scratched behind the ears of the puppy in his arms, shooting Papyrus a grin and lazy shrug of his shoulders. A glint of amusement also passed over his eyelights.

"eh, we have a lotta the same thought processes and priorities in life. we both just want to be cozy, eat good food, sleep a lot and have a good time."

That answer had Toriel giggling in moments, the kind she could hardly muffle even when she covered her mouth. The Dogi too, chuckled at his remark, but more so out of an affectionate familiarity for the skeleton's eccentricities. Papyrus however gave his brother a long flat look before slapping his hand over his face.

"THAT WAS THE WORST ANSWER YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN, SANS." He said, rather flatly and only feeding his older brother's amusement.

Papyrus then turned his focus back to the puppy in his arms, likely to distract himself from his vexation towards his sibling. He steadily regained a bright smile as he tickled the little monster under the chin and discovered the ideal place to scratch them behind the ears. Toriel also noticed Flowey and the small white dog watching curiously, though with quite different sorts of expressions on their faces.

The puppy's tail wagged with more enthusiasm as Papyrus became more confident in playing with them and it let out a squeak of a cheerful yip up a him. That made the skeleton all but beam and laugh quietly to himself. Toriel was glad to see him getting the hang of it, and enjoying the little monster's company rather than worrying incessantly over being a potential hazard to them. Sans took note of his brother's rapid shift in demeanor too, and made note of it with a soft chuckle.

"heh, and here i thought you didn't like dogs." He said, grin widening as he was again met with Papyrus' annoyed expression.

The younger skeleton drew himself up with a huff, cradling the puppy protectively against his chest.

"I HAVE NEVER SAID SUCH A THING, I ONLY DISLIKE ONE _PARTICULAR_ DOG." He clarified, holding up a finger to prove his point.

The small, white dog then popped up inexplicably at Papyrus' side and let out a single high pitched bark.

"YES, I MEANT YOU!" Papyrus said, perhaps a touch too loudly.

Thankfully Toriel didn't need to remind him of that, and he quickly recognized his mistake and lowered his voice as he stroked the puppy again.

"SORRY, SORRY LITTLE FRIEND." He apologized, even though the little monster looked none too fussed. "I WILL MIND MY VOLUME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS SIMPLY NATURALLY BOISTEROUS AT ALL TIMES."

Dogamy laughed from across from him as he was carefully fixing up one of the pup's onesies that had come undone in a few places.

"Do not worry too much Papyrus." He assured the skeleton with another whuff of amusement. "They live in a rather noisy home, I suspect they are used to it by now."

Toriel smiled at that, and was about to inquire into just what such a household was like. Being a married couple living with some of their relatives fused together as one being, now along with eight beautiful new puppies to add to the mix… It was fair to say such a place was likely rather chaotic, messy, and contained an optimum number of dogs. But before she could ask, she noticed her child trying to get her attention, and since she was notably still puppy-less, she stood and went over to them to see what they needed.

Frisk's puppy was asleep against their chest, tiny paws and ears twitching as they slept. The very tip of the little one's pink tongue was poking out as well. Oh, she could see why Frisk summoned her over. This was prime photo material. She quickly took out her phone, though even with having a custom made larger one as a gift from Alphys, and all the time she'd had to practice, she still struggled a bit getting her chunky fingers to work with all the intricate touchscreens and tiny buttons. But she managed to snap a pic after one or two attempts, and took a few more pictures of everyone meeting the little ones while she was at it. After all, this was an important memory to keep, was it not?

But it seemed taking photos wasn't the only thing Frisk had waved her over for. They pointed over at the dog couple and situated the puppy comfortably against them before beginning to sign.

(How long until the puppies can talk and walk around like Dogamy and Dogaressa?) They asked, curiously. (They almost seem like normal dogs right now.)

From across from them Dogaressa tilted her head at Frisk's signing, and Toriel was happy to explain.

"Frisk is wondering how long it will take for your little ones to begin to walk upright and learn to speak." She explained, giving Frisk's hair a gentle stroke before going back to sit on the couch next to Sans.

Dogaressa brightened up once the question was clear to her, tail wagging and thumping against the couch cushions.

"Oh! Well that is an easy one." She said warmly, looking over her children with a maternal fondness Toriel could easily recognize. "Since they are monsters, they will develop slower, but a lot further than a dog like your friend here."

She then stroked the small, white dog's head for emphasis, and something about petting him seemed to be quite personally exciting to her as it made her eyes sparkle. But rather than elaborate on why that was, she continued on with her explanation.

"Because of that, it will be a little while before they can speak and walk upright. Faster than a human would, but slower than some other monsters. Does that make sense Frisk?" She asked.

Frisk nodded thankfully, and the interest that shown in their eyes made Toriel consider that perhaps the subject of all the different kinds of young monster development versus human development may be a good subject for her to cover at the school someday. It would certainly be relevant to all of her students. But like any the other thoughts that had been cropping up, she filed it away for the moment in order to focus her attention on the little ones. And her fixation was certainly not missed by Dogaressa this time.

"Wonderful." The dog monster replied to Frisk, before carefully picking up the pup she herself had been holding and offering her out to Toriel. "Would you like to hold this one Toriel?"

It took most of Toriel's self control not to answer that question with an unbecoming amount of enthusiasm, but she couldn't keep the sparkles from her eyes. She managed to clear her throat though and maintain her tone's usual poise.

"I would be delighted to." She said, accepting the precious little bundle of white fur into her paws.

They stared back up at her, deep brown eyes meeting scarlet red. It was that feature plus the notably messy fur on their head that made Toriel recognize this puppy as the one she'd first seen in the carriage when it arrived. The little monster sniffed at Toriel curiously, not as keen to promptly go for nibbling as the others it seemed. Toriel very carefully stroked the pup with a finger as they prodded the material of her sleeves with their tiny black nose, ensuring her claws were retracted as much as possible.

"Hello there little one." She crooned, holding the puppy up a little higher so their eyes were at a even level. "Are you not just the most beautiful little monster?"

She was briefly caught up in marveling over the precious little pup, giving them all her focus. It stirred warm, old feelings inside her that were all at once tethered to great joy and tremendous greif. It certainly didn't help that the puppy had those same familiar long droopy ears, soft white fur, and tiny pink paw pads. For a moment in her mind, she saw those brown eyes as green, that black nose as flat and pink, and pictured a pair of minuscule fangs poking out from the little monster's lip.

Once she realized where her mind was drifting though, she pulled herself out of it, doing her best not to get caught up in her old sorrows. Still, she did find herself casting a glance at Flowey, and he was looking back. Something intangible passed through their shared gaze until the flower monster looked away again with an expression that was difficult to read. As much as it made her want to try and talk to him, she could feel the expectant gazes of the Dogi on her, and she felt it would be remiss not to give the situation at hand the proper attention.

She cradled the puppy more properly and looked back at Dogamy and Dogaressa with a renewed sparkle to her eyes.

"They are simply precious you two." She said warmly, lightly running the curve of a finger against the pup's velvety soft ears. "What have you named this one?"

The dog couple exchanged a meaningful, joyful look, one that made Toriel the one tilting her head a bit in confusion. Dogaressa was the one to explain, thankfully not leaving Toriel in the dark.

"Well Toriel, that one is actually a little special." Dogaressa began to explain, tail starting to wag again. "There is a reason we gave them to you in particular to hold."

Toriel blinked in confusion, looking down at the little pup for any hints. They _were_ wearing a purple collar, a color many associated with her, but other than that she couldn't discern anything about this puppy that would tie her to Toriel.

"Oh? What is that?" She asked, finding herself smiling as the Dogi couples' was contagious.

Dogamy was the one to speak up then, and by now everyone in the room was listening intently, other than the puppies who remained in their own little worlds.

"We both collaborated on names once the little ones were born." He explained, "Most came to us naturally, and they were no exception. We couldn't help but notice that this one looks so much like you. And since you were such a help to us during my sweetie pie's pregnancy, we thought it would be simply perfect to name them after you."

The words took a few moments to really sink for Toriel, trying to understand the nature of all the implications. She looked back down at the puppy who had begun to lightly nibble and tug one of the sleeves of her dress. Utterly oblivious to the nature of the conversation at hand.

"So… that means their name is...?" She asked, though she had already put it together in her head.

"Dogriel!" The Dogi confirmed in unison, tails both wagging excitedly. "Such a beautiful name too!"

Toriel was briefly left rather bewildered by the name, unsure if it would be uncouth to giggle at it or not. It reminded her of what she had playful christened the writing chair in her bedroom back in the Ruins. As the moment of amusement passed though, the deeper implications of what was happening set in, and she looked back at the dog couple with shining eyes.

"Well… I… am honored." She said, clearing her throat before continuing. "Truly, I am, they are a beautiful little monster."

Toriel looked down at little Dogriel, wondering what the small monster would one day think of the name. Would Toriel be someone at that point in her life that the young pup would be able to look up to and feel grateful to have their name inspired by? Time could only tell, but Toriel made a silent vow to herself to do what she could to live up to that notion. Dogriel quietly whined up at her until Toriel began to pet their ears again. Toriel was all too happy to do so, recognizing yet another trait the two of them shared. Whether dog monster or boss monster, there was nothing like a good ear rub.

Doting on the puppy had distracted Toriel for a few moments, but when she got the sense that the Dogi had more to say, she slowed her movements and looked back up at them.

"There was something else too…" Dogaressa said, confirming Toriel's suspicions and looking a little nervous but no less happy as she wrung her paws together. "We were wondering, well… would you like to be Dogriel's dogmother… er…. godmother?"

Toriel froze up at that, midway through stroking the little pup's ears one more. Dogaressa pressed on, as Toriel couldn't help but look at her rather wide eyed.

"We have found godparents for many of the puppies so far." Dogaressa explained, scooting close and smiling down at the contented child in Toriel's arms. "But I thought it would be perfect for you to be the one for this pup."

There was a long moment where Toriel found she didn't know what to say. Words wouldn't come, and thoughts were slow to emerge as well. With her history with parenthood, even if it was only tangentially relevant to what was currently being asked of her, everyone present must know just how much something like this would affect her.

She found herself looking back down at the precious little bundle of white fur in her paws. One of the first monsters born in the world above, under the light of the sun, rather than in the cramped, dark caverns monsterkind had been inhabiting for centuries. This child and their siblings were so beautiful in every way she could ever hope to conceive, and so was the potential future they represented for both humans and monsters. As her soul stirred for emotions both old and new, she knew that there was only one answer she was going to give in this case.

"Oh… I absolutely would love that." She said, unable to keep from tearing up a little as she spoke. "Yes of course I will."

She gathered the puppy a little closer then and gently nuzzled them, as though sealing the decision with the act. The little monster remained oblivious to that, but did offer Toriel back a small reply in the form of the touch of a tiny tongue against her nose. Beside her, Sans chuckled and grinned playfully.

"careful you two, she's gonna wanna be scheduling visits with that puppy all the time going forward." He teased, though with a good deal of warmth.

"Oh hush you." She replied back with a smile, not looking away from her newly christened godchild for a few more moments. "But still, if you two ever need help, or a babysitter, or anything. We are here for you. Though I am sure you must have had plenty of such offers already, have you not?"

The Dogi couple nodded enthusiastically, reaching over to hold each other's paws

"Oh yes, we are very fortunate to have such good friends and family." Dogaressa said. "All of our fellow former royal guards have been so supportive, as well as our good friends at Grillby's. Even Endogeny has been so attentive and eager to help out with what they can."

Toriel smiled brighter at that, thinking of all the dog monsters who had formed such tight knit bonds with one another. The mention of the amalgamate especially was good to hear, as she knew that the multi-souled monster had taken some time to adapt to life outside Alphys' laboratory. Witnessing the birth of the puppies that many of their souls had relations too must have been such a joy for them.

The topic of conversation drifted in that direction for some time then, as Toriel and the rest of her family, save Flowey, continued to bond with the pups. Dogaressa shared a lot about what the canine members of the former royal guard were doing for a living nowadays, about how they all lived in rather close proximity, and details on how Endogeny spent time with everyone its many souls had relations to. Toriel spoke amiably with the dog couple, and all the while protectively cradled the puppy in her arms.

Eventually though, Toriel was distracted from her conversation by Frisk, who had walked across the room with their own pup in tow to speak to Sans. They set both the small monster in the skeleton's lap, leaving him abruptly in charge of two puppies rather than one. It was clearly in an effort to free their hands to sign, but Sans still looked a bit nervous and Toriel noticed a few beads of sweat forming on his skull.

He readjusted quickly to properly hold the two puppies even as they wriggled and nibbled at his sleeves. Frisk gave him an apologetic look before raising their hands to sign. Toriel couldn't quite catch the words from the angle she was at, but she was sure she saw the signs for "bone" and "make." Sans gave a slightly sheepish grin in response as he continually made sure to support both puppies in his arms.

"uh, i think these pups are still a bit too young for chewing on bones kiddo." He said with a light chuckle. "might be a bit _ruff_ on their gums."

He appeared to think more deeply about the child's request for a moment, then a wider grin appeared on his face.

"tell ya what, i'll make them all little bone treats for 5000g each." He said definitively, moving both puppies to one arm in order to hold out his hand as though truly expecting the payment.

Frisk crossed their arms and pouted back at him, an expression that made their cheeks puff out a bit. Sans held firm in his joke though for another few seconds. Then his cool facade fell as he snorted and reached out to ruffle the child's hair.

"i'm just messing with you kiddo." He assured them, before settling back against the sofa and looking down at the puppies he was holding. "i could make them for later on, but honestly you should have pap do it. he loves making little bone presents for people. and he'll probably actually put effort into wrapping it and everything."

From beside them, Papyrus was all too eager to burst into affirmation when he heard mention of his name, but he kept his word and stayed moderately quiet.

"OH YES OF COURSE!" He declared before turning towards Toriel, holding the puppy carefully in his hands as though fearing they might break if he moved. "IF YOU WOULD PLEASE HOLD MY DEAR NEW FRIEND DOGTHANY FOR A MOMENT TORIEL, I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT."

Toriel nodded, shifting Dogriel to her other arm to accept Dogthany in the other. Papyrus passed over the pup rather slowly, sweat visible on his skull. Only when Toriel had taken the small monster from him did the skeleton visibly relax again. He gave Dogthany a quick little wave goodbye before hurrying off to his room with his usual enthusiasm and display of physics defying acrobatics.

Toriel hardly had time to even look over the second child suddenly left in her care before the sounds of boots thumping rapidly across the floor back to the living room could be heard. Papyrus skidded to a stop out of his rush a few feet past the door frame to the hall, stumbling once a bit before righting himself dramatically. In his hands was a large dull gray cloth bag adorned with a picture of Mettaton and a pair of red pullstrings. With a flick of his wrist, the skeleton plucked the bag open, reached inside, and lifted up and out an example of its contents dramatically.

"HERE YOU ARE, IMPECCABLY SHAPED, MASTERFULLY WRAPPED AND FILLED WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY CALCIUM!" He declared, displaying a large golden colored bone tied with a red ribbon.

The Dogi looked at the gift with wide eager eyes, and even some of the puppies glanced up at it curiously. Papyrus grinned and procured another seven identical bones, stacking them in a perfect tower that almost reached the ceiling. Toriel looked up the stack warily and pulled the two pups she was holding closer to her, unsure how he was managing to keep them so steady. The skeleton then handed the tower of bones to Dogamy, somehow without causing the tower to sway at all.

When Dogamy had them though, the bones did begin to wobble dangerously. He tried for a few moments to keep them steady, but quickly realized it was unlikely not to end in disaster. So he settled for carefully setting the tower down on the table and putting the bones one by one in the baby carriage's back pocket.

"Thank you Papyrus! I am sure the puppies will love these once they can have them." Dogaressa said cheerfully, before looking at the tower and licking her chops. "Though it might be hard to resist chewing on them ourselves..."

Dogamy looked as though he agreed, clearly fighting with his own instincts as he secured his children's gifts away for later. From the couch beside her, Sans gave a short chuckle and shifted the wiggly puppies in his arms in order to free his left hand. He quickly formed two more bones, slightly chunkier and shorter in shape than the ones Papyrus made. He gave them solid form before tossing them in the direction of the dog couple.

"here ya go, one for both of you guys too, for the road." He said with a lazy wink.

Both dog monsters' eyes went wide and sparkly, and they leapt up to catch their respective bones with ease. The two gnawed on the gifts for a few moments before turning back to look at Sans and Toriel, tails wagging.

"Thank you Sans!" Dogamy yipped before sticking the bone back in his mouth and returning to his task of stowing Papyrus' gifts away in the carriage.

Dogaressa nodded, eyes sparkling as she worked her teeth over to bone.

"Yesh, thanksh yoush so musch!" She mumbled around the bone, before reluctantly taking it out in order to keep talking in a clearer manner. "Well… I suppose we should be getting the puppies home for their supper. Thank you for letting us all drop by unannounced."

Toriel got up from the couch then to properly bid the dog couple farewell, handing Dogthany off to their father as she did so. Dogriel remained curled up in her arms for the moment, tiny tail lightly brushing Toriel's elbow in a wag as she gently stroked the puppy's head with the curve of her finger.

"Oh course, and it is I who should be thanking you, for letting us meet your beautiful children, and for honoring me with the godparenthood of this precious little sweetheart." Toriel said, the last part coming out more as a croon directed at the pup she cradled before she looked back at Dogaressa. "Are you sure you all would not like to stay for dinner? We would be happy to have you."

Dogaressa smiled gratefully but shook her head, though that didn't stop her tongue from hanging out a bit.

"You are too kind Toriel, and it pains me to turn down your wonderful cooking." She said, with a bit of a sad whimper overlaid. "But I'm afraid we already have plans for dinner. We are following our doctor's advice on diets for me and the puppies."

Toriel gave her a sympathetic smile, thinking back to those first few months after she first had Asriel. She had been advised towards something similar in order to properly provide for her son, as well as to steadily recover the magic she'd lost in delivering him. She remembered how stressed and worrisome she'd been during that time, fussing over her child and fretting over any small sound or odd movement he'd make. As well as feeling so very useless in her drained state as she watched her now ex husband having take care of everything, both in the home and on the throne. Yes, she could remember it all so very clearly, despite it being over a century ago.

She was again prompted to look over at her child in his floral form, wondering if he was still staring at her with that unsettling look. But no, he was facing away, watching Dogamy carefully get his puppies settled back into the carriage. Frisk, no- Chara, judging from the eyes, was there as well, peering down into the carriage and gingerly touching one puppy's head with a finger, in an action that resembled prodding more so than petting, as though unsure of its intentions. She couldn't tell if they were genuinely unsure of the small monster, which felt doubtful to her, or was simply just still wary of showing themselves to be taken in by something so cute.

Toriel could at least see from their soft scarlet eyes though that they were curious and poorly masking a smile, so the sight ended up leaving an endeared warmth in her soul. She couldn't see Flowey's expression though to potentially stave off her other anxieties, so she just looked back over at Dogaressa. In her moment of spaciness, she almost neglected to reply.

"I see, well then I wish you a wonderful evening." Toriel said warmly. "And again, feel free to give us a call if you need anything."

Those words prompted Dogaressa to abruptly hug Toriel again, thankfully at least mindful of the puppy the boss monster was holding. Toriel could only return the dog monster's hug with one arm, but it seemed to placate her well enough, and Toriel couldn't help but giggle softly at the sudden affection. Once Dogaressa released her, Toriel returned her attention to little Dogriel, who was peering up at her with those precious big brown eyes. Especially with the role she had just been given in this little monster's life, Toriel almost didn't want to give them up. But it was time to part ways for now.

She gave the little pup another nuzzle, and Dogriel respond with a faster wag of their tail and a happy wiggle. Toriel could feel the tiny pulses from their soul sharing that contentment as well, meeting her own magic like soft rays of warm morning sunlight.

"Goodbye for now, little one." Toriel cooed, before handing the puppy back to their mother. "I hope to see you and your siblings again before too long."

Getting up from the couch behind her, Sans also made his way over to them, still trying to properly hold the two squirmy puppies in his arms. Dogaressa came to his rescue though, leaning down to take both from him and cradle them as if the act were the easiest thing in the world. Clearly the new mother had been adapting to the role rather quickly, and was already learning to handle her children with relative ease. Toriel didn't envy her though. Raising one little infant monster had been a massive challenge in and of itself, raising _eight_ of them? Toriel said a silent prayer for the Dogi's future wellbeing.

But she knew that, just like her, they would certainly find the struggles irrelevant to all the joy raising their children would bring them. Toriel was so caught up in those warm, fuzzy feelings that she almost missed Sans speaking up from beside her.

"yah guys, was real cool of ya to let us see em." He was saying, now back in his usual pose with his hands in his hoodie pockets. "thanks for bringing them by, they're pretty great."

Papyrus was quick to agree, joining them with his usual flair.

"INDEED! THEY ARE DELIGHTFUL TINY NEW FRIENDS!" He declared before placing a gloved hand over his chest. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, VOW TO BE AN UPSTANDING ROLE MODEL FOR THEM AS THEY GROW."

He narrowed his sockets a bit once the words left him, setting his jaw in a poorly repressed irritated expression.

"AND I HOPE _THEY_ CAN BE A ROLE MODEL FOR A CERTAIN _OTHER_ CONFOUNDING CANINE."

From the floor beside Papyrus, the small white dog let out a joyful yip. The skeleton glowered down at the animal and let out a exaggerated sound of vexation. All of them shared in another laugh, and the dog simply wagged his tail, seemingly oblivious. After the mirth quieted down some, Chara came over from the carriage stand with them, carrying Flowey in his pot. The flower monster's expression was once again guarded, but at least did not seem to carry any harshness as once was so usual for him. Toriel did notice he didn't seem keen on meeting any of their gazes though.

"Yeah, those puppies are pretty cool I guess." Chara commented casually in their layered voice, though their eyes kept drifting towards the carriage with just enough of a shine to them to show they were more enthused than they were letting on.

Everything looked at Flowey by instinct, expecting him to say something as well. When he didn't, Chara tapped the top of his head with a finger. The flower monster grit his teeth and glared up at Chara, but they didn't seem bothered, quite used to Flowey's dirty looks.

"What do you think, bro?" Chara asked, with a teasing sort of tone and expression.

It was not the way Toriel would have advised them to try and encourage Flowey to participate in the conversation, but she resisted commenting on the matter. Mostly since Flowey did at least feel inclined then to say something. He huffed and took a long moment to answer, clearly having to pause to force down his usual instinctual harshness and find a reply that wouldn't get him in trouble. Toriel appreciated that effort from him, and tried to look supportive when his gaze drifted towards her.

"They're fine. But they do kind of smell weird." Flowey said after a few moments, wrinkling his short muzzle a bit.

The Dogi didn't seem at all offended by the statement, more amused than anything.

"That is just wonderful puppy smell!" Dogamy said cheerfully as he finished getting the last puppy settled in the carriage. "It is the best of smells, Frisk can tell you all about that."

Chara's smile softened some at that, likely from the influence of the other child in question. After a moment, they let out a short chuckle.

"Yeah, they are asking if you still consider them a weird puppy."

The Dogi couple giggled, looking as though they were recalling fond memories. Toriel for her part was confused by what they could be referring to, but figured it was simply something from her child's journey through the underground she hadn't been told about yet. There was still so very much she didn't know.

"Of course!" Dogaressa yipped, tail wagging behind her even as she seemed to ponder the question further. "But perhaps not a _weird_ puppy, just a human puppy! An amazing human puppy. And that goes for you too, ghost puppy."

Chara made a face then that showed they weren't too sure how to feel about that nickname, but if the Dogi noticed, they didn't show it, and Toriel muffled a giggle into her paw. With that, Dogamy and Dogaressa got everyone and everything loaded back into the carriage. The puppies were more active then they had been when they had arrived, probably a sign they were indeed getting hungry. Toriel could only imagine how wonderfully chaotic mealtimes at the Dogi house must be, and especially would be once the puppies were big enough to get around on their own.

They all bid the couple farewell once again, walking with them to the door. But while the rest of her family dispersed back to their previous activities, still chatting and gushing over what they had just experienced, Toriel remained by the door, looking out through the window. She watched the Dogi stroll down the path from her house, pausing once they reached the sidewalk to nuzzle their noses against each other affectionately. Dogaressa then had to quickly set one particularly brave puppy who had started to pull themself over the edge of the carriage, back down inside it, giving them a little kiss as she did so.

Something about watching that stirred up old memories in Toriel all over again, but beyond those… there was something else. Something that kept her at that window even after the dog couple and their children were out of sight.

It was just a thought, a flicker of a reminder, but it was enough to summon up a spark in her mind. Overdue realizations about her immortality, and how it would affect her relationship with her newfound family as time went on. Just a short time ago, she and the others had been fearing a return to the past, upon Frisk and Sans revealing the truth about the nature of their world, and the child who held power over it. Now, it was the great unknown of the future that hung over all of them.

She looked at her ageless reflection in the window, the same face she'd worn for the past hundred years after her children perished at the hands of humans. Not even the partial revival of those children in the forms they now took had released immortality's grip on her. Asriel's soul was still nowhere near whole as Flowey, and thus, hers and Asgore's connection to his magic remained severed. It left all the former Dreemurrs in that ageless limbo in a way, still the same physical age as they were during the worst day of their lives, over a century ago.

But while her children's situations were a mystery they were all collectively trying to solve, Toriel knew what would have to happen for her to age naturally again. She rarely let herself dwell on it… but even considering the idea of a future where she watched those she loved grow old and die, whilst she remained untouched by time was just... unbearable. Living alone in the Ruins had freed her from that burden on some degree. As her heartache and bitterness hardened her soul against all she once knew and she lost track of the decades passing by, only ever noticing it whilst watching the generations of Froggits, Whimsuns, Moldsmals and others that came and went like the passing of the seasons.

But things were different now. While her immortality had served her mission back then, it was nothing but a barrier in and of itself now, something that would only cause a gulf between her and her loved ones as the years went by. And someday… she'd have to watch them all die, one by one, still exactly as she was at this very moment. The idea was nearly too painful to bear, and her mind instinctively shoved it back as it always had when the thought had tried to rear its ugly head. But her efforts couldn't stop the thought completely this time, as seeing the Dogi and their children had made the reality of it far too clear.

But for her to age again… there was only one way. And it was...

"you alright, t?" A sudden voice broke her from her swirling thoughts and she jumped a bit in surprise.

She turned to see Sans standing there behind her, a hint of concern evident in the soft lights of his eyes. Whether he had taken a shortcut to suddenly appear like that, or had simply walked in whilst she was lost in her thoughts, she could never be sure. Even after dating him all these months, and learning a great deal of the secrets he had kept hidden for so long, there were likely always going to be things about her dear skeleton that she didn't fully understand. She smiled gratefully down at him, her scarlet irises appearing to shine some.

"Yes dear, I am fine." She assured him, letting those earlier thoughts fall away for the moment. "I was just... thinking about something."

Sans didn't seem appeased by that response though, and shifted a bit in a small anxious motion of uncertainty, After a few moments, he closed the short distance between them and walked up to take her large paw in his small hand. She smiled at the act before returning it, holding his hand in her own and lightly stroking it with her thumb. His eyelights drifted downwards for a moment, wavering slightly with thought, then they floated back up to her.

"you uh... wanna talk about it?" He asked in a softer voice.

Toriel's smile grew warmer, but she slowly shook her head.

"I appreciate the offer love, but I am okay. Perhaps another time though." She said, hoping the last part would satisfy him for the moment.

She and Sans had been making an effort over the past months to be more honest with one another and talk out such things as this. It had started as her doing what she could to coax out the reasons for the behaviors he'd displayed that hinted at his inner turmoil, but she quickly found that she was in need of such improvement as well. They had both made great strides in that regard, though they still shared a number of sleepless nights and moments of retreating behind their familiar emotional walls. Thus, deflecting from his offer of discussion then did make her feel a touch guilty.

But the thought had already retreated back into the shadows and she lacked enough sense of it to know how to discuss it with him effectively. She silently vowed to him and herself that she would address it in time, but for now…

"Come now dear, since you are now awake, why not help me prepare dinner?" She said, turning from the window and stepping back towards the kitchen, still holding his hand gently in her own. "It has been a while, I think a dinner pie would be wonderful for tonight, would it not?"

Though some faint concern still remained in his gaze, it could not compete with how the mention of the dish made his eyelights shine. The reaction was not simply due to the dish being a favored one by him and her children, though that certainly played a part. The take on chicken pot pie that she had learned from her father many centuries ago had become something special to the two of them as of late. It was not only the first non dessert dish they had crafted together, but also the last meal they'd shared before he finally told her the terrible truth of their world, and the power her child held over it.

Perhaps that left its overall influence a rather mixed bag, but both of them regarded it fondly nonetheless. Sans' grin widened, and his usual relaxed posture returned as he walked with her back towards the kitchen .

"sure tori, sounds like it'll be _supper_ delicious." He quipped up at her with a lazy wink.

The pun hit the mark, and she was briefly beset by giggles. But she did her best to compose herself again quickly. The pun was a challenge that marked the start of their oldest and most treasured of routines. Even if it was plain old silliness to most, even aggravating silliness to some, to them it carried such warmth and fond memories. Toriel was sure that that aspect of their relationship would likely remain throughout all the changes and struggles they'd been facing, and would continue to face going forward. With his joke, any remains of her earlier troubled thoughts left her mind, leaving only a focus on their wonderful shared joviality.

"Why certainly!" She replied confidently, smiling wide. "Between the two of us, it will turn out _chew_ wonderful for words!"

She was rewarded with her quip with one of Sans' blessed wheezy chuckles, the kind one only heard when he was truly happy. And while hearing such a thing from him had once been quite a rarity, it was slowly, blessedly becoming more and more common. They both giggled like the, as Sans would say, "huge dorks" that they were as they went together to the kitchen, ready to end off another good day to add to the growing list.

She hadn't dwelled any further on the pressing thoughts that had been sparked then, leaving them to settle in the corners of her mind. But as the days and then weeks went by after that first visit with the Dogi, those thoughts grew stronger, more insistent, and lied in wait for the day she could ignore them no more.


	2. Threads

Toriel was a monster who once survived off of distraction.

During her time in self imposed isolation, distraction was all she had to fill the years and years of waiting within the lonely Ruins' walls. Without it, how could one hope to keep their sanity? With no one to really talk to for decades at a time, Toriel only had her distractions to keep her mental state from unravelling. She lost herself in those chores and meaningless activities, throwing everything she had into it, nurturing those ancient halls and her empty home when she had nothing else to direct all that energy towards. In all, keeping busy kept her mind from dwelling on all that had left her soul scarred.

When she was raking the scarlet leaves outside the front entrance, she didn't think about Asgore or the true horror of his actions. When she was hunting bugs for a potential element in whatever meal she'd planned, she didn't think about her children's devastating deaths. When she went to patrol the halls and check up on all the Ruins' traps and puzzles, she didn't think about all the human children she had failed to save. It didn't always work ideally, but it was all she had to keep from lying down and letting the inordinate despair swallow her up for good.

And though that time was now behind her, she still had a compulsion do something her mind saw as productive when something began to way on it. It was her go to way for her to properly settle her nerves when heavier thoughts made an effort to take hold. And today was certainly one of those days.

On a late summer's evening, a few weeks after the Dogi's visit, Toriel knitted in the comfort of her living room, listening to a nature program about snails in the background as it played on the television. The rhythmic movements as she dipped the hooks tied with thick colorful threads in, out and around kept her mind occupied, distracted. All that mattered in that moment was the knitted creation she was slowly bringing to life. Her children were with their father for the weekend, she had finished going over and tweaking the lesson plan for the school day tomorrow, and she had already packed Papyrus' lunch as well. A cheese sandwich with an apple and some milk. The sandwich being cut into something of a maze of course, just to his liking. It was a... complicated process to accomplish that, but seeing how happy it made him made it worth it.

Making his lunches for work at the school or the days he had classes at the local community college wasn't something she had to do. Indeed, Papyrus was showing himself to be improving in his cooking skills all the time when he chose to partake in them, and was displaying newfound levels of independence every day. If anything, his allowing her to prepare him a lunch every day was more a kindness to _her_ than anything else. She pondered on that as she finished off another stripe of colored thread, a pale peachy pink, like the sky at dawn. Her mind drifted on from there, moving from safe subject to subject as though crossing the planks on a rickety bridge. Though the stable sections offered brief respite, she knew if she looked down, she'd see the chasm she was fighting not to fall into. That nagging, cruel, and incessant thought.

She missed a stitch and that snapped her focus back to the present. Amending the error, she began a new stripe, this one a pale blue, like that of freshly bloomed hydrangeas. The color also reminded her of something… some _one_ else. Someone who been lightly dozing against her side on and off the past few hours. She spared a glance at him, noting that he actually wasn't wearing blue today, instead opting for that dark gray hoodie with the bone on it. His almost neon red sweatpants patterned with hotdogs along with the green striped socks on his feet were utterly, perfectly mismatched from that in a way that was so very him.

But she found that the expression on his face did not match with his silly attire. In fact, rather than sleeping like she had been expecting, she found that he was looking right at her as she met his gaze, implying he had been watching her. And the look her gave her, through sockets only about half open, betrayed that he was...suspicious. Concern and confusion also shimmered in the lights of his eyes, making her a little nervous.

"What is that look for?" She asked, a touch more sheepishly than she intended.

In truth, it was a pointless question. For she already knew the answer. She had been noticing him giving her odd looks like that as of late, always so quick to pick up on things... She had little doubts he was seeing through her ever-failing efforts to conceal her internal struggle. He didn't answer right away, and she could practically see the gears in his skull turning. The emotions he exuded intensified, though his expression held firm, and he finally sat up a bit to better face her.

"you're upset about something." He said, rather bluntly. "you have been for the past few weeks, but it's real bad today."

Toriel's paws froze mid-stitch and she felt the air catch in her throat some. There was a long moment where she debated on what to say in return, on whether to fess up or continue hopelessly dodge the issue. In the end, her loyalty to their previous vow made the decision for her. After all they'd been through, she just couldn't hide things from him like that anymore.

"I…" She she managed to get the word out, but it was soft and almost inaudible.

She swallowed and offered up a sort of sad smile as she lowered her knitting materials to her lap.

"I... suppose I am." She admitted in a slightly stronger voice, turning to meet his gaze. "I should have known you would be able to tell, my dear."

Sans blinked and his eyelights wavered slightly with a mix of emotions. He eased himself closer to her, his gaze becoming more imploring.

"why're you trying to hide it?" He asked, unable to keep a bit of hurt from seeping into his tone. "didn't we agree we weren't gonna... do that anymore?"

Toriel felt a pang in her soul at his response, sharp with guilt at her own thoughtlessness. She hung her head a bit as she voiced her apology.

"I am truly sorry, love. It is not that I do not wish to discuss it with you. I did intend to at some point... It is just…" She trailed off briefly, as she worried her lip with her fangs. "I am not sure how to properly put it into words. I am not even sure it is something I should be worrying about..."

Sans' brow ridges furrowed some at that, and his posture relaxed as he seemed to consider her words. Before he could reply, the small, white dog came trotting into the room inexplicably as though appearing from thin air. He hopped up on to Sans' lap and the skeleton spared the animal a grin and a few pets before returning his attention back to Toriel.

"is it the reason why you seemed off after dogamy and dogaressa left that first day they came over?" He asked, absently scratching behind the dog's ears.

The assumption hit the nail on the head yet again and she sighed quietly, still keeping up that empty smile.

"Yes…" She confirmed, meeting his eyelights again. "Nothing gets past you, does it, my dear?"

He seemed briefly struck by the question, as appeared as though he might offer some counter to that. But he settled on just offering her a shrug of his shoulders and a grin closer to his usual one.

"eh, i think i know you well enough by now to recognize when you've got stuff weighin' on ya. and i'm pretty sure you could say the same for me." He reasoned with a wink, before an air of seriousness returned to his expression and tone.

He moved one hand to rest atop her paw, letting it sink somewhat into the soft fur there.

"but seriously tori, you know can tell me about it." He said, as she turned her paw to gently envelope his small hand. "even if it's confusing or you think it's silly or whatever. if it's been bothering you this long, it's worth a chat at least."

He gave her paw a small squeeze of encouragement, a sentiment matched by the softness of his gaze. There was no getting out of this now, that much was clear. She let out a soft sigh, doing her best to direct the messy stream of thoughts into something coherent and orderly.

"Very well then, dear… It… would be better to get this off my chest." She conceded, before biting her lip again. "Though I must warn you… No matter how I articulate it... it may be a bit… well…"

She trailed off, not sure of the best word to use in this situation. Sans grin softened a bit more before he gave her a gentle little nudge with his elbow.

"come on tori, let's be real here." He said lightheartedly before his expression and tone sobered up some again. "i don't think it can compare to what i was hiding. if we got through that, we can handle anything."

Those words once again gave Toriel pause, as her mind flashed through all events that had unfolded when Sans had revealed to her the terrible truth of their world, along with the other dark secrets regarding his past and how deeply it had all been affecting him. It put her own worries in a new context, making them feel small and trivial in comparison.

If Sans could bring himself speak to her about such things, she could strike down her cowardice and tell him about these troubling thoughts. It was likely he didn't intend to stir trivialize her concerns, but she was somewhat grateful for it, if only because it made her see reason once more. He deserved honesty from her after everything they'd been through, there was question about that in her mind. Even about… this.

"Fair enough." She agreed, her eyes gaining a heaviness to them that was both new and old all at once..

She picked idly at the edge of her knitting project as her mind raced on, teasing the loose thread she'd failed to finish weaving into the design.

"Alright… how to begin…" She said, forcing more strength into her voice.

She narrowed her eyes in thought then softened her expression some as she settled on how she would tackle the issue at hand.

"Perhaps the best way to approach this is with a question for you Sans." She said, meeting his gaze once more.

He blinked in surprise at that, but nodded, indicating he was listening and on board with the idea.

"Do you... remember what it is that makes me immortal?" She asked, hesitantly.

The mix of emotions that passed through his eyelights and the way he seemed to deflate some told her the answer. But she still waited patiently for a direct one anyway, wanting to get a definite grasp on just how much of the situation he understood. The skeleton looked down and a couple beads of sweat formed on his skull. His set his jaw hard for a few moments before looking back up at her and answering.

"you... stopped aging when your kids died... right?" He said, though in a tone that suggested it wasn't really a question. "and with asriel especially... since you only age as he does."

Toriel nodded grimly, curling her claws slightly into her lap. She intended to vocally confirm his suspicions, but Sans pressed on, looking more worried for her as each moment passed.

"and judging from what we know… flowey doesn't do that for ya, huh?" He asked solemnly, again in a way that indicated he already knew the answer.

The question made an acute ache flare up in her soul, and by some instinct, Toriel looked towards the windowsill where her son often liked to be set on sunny days like this. The space was vacant at that moment, marked only by a faint round mark his flowerpot had left from the days and days of sitting there. She spared a thought towards the hope that he had a similar place at his father's house to take in the sunlight. Though any worries she might feel in that regard were truly pointless. There could hardly be any better place for a flower than what was practically a greenhouse.

Arranging how the children lived between two homes had been strenuous on her. There was little doubt about that. She was so used to having them around, caring for them everyday, that the days they spent in their father's care often passed by in slow motion, marked by moments of paranoid, irrational worries and old heartache. She was so grateful that Sans had so far stayed by her side during such times, no doubt sensing how hard it was for her. He kept them from feeling too much like those decades she'd spent alone in the Ruins. Though they did often remind her of another the memories she now had of another timeline... one that also involved the two of them spending much of their time with each other.

Thoughts of her regained memories always seemed to circle back to her son and his mysterious situation though, and his favored spot on the windowsill held her gaze even as she confirmed Sans' statement.

"No… the way he is now, our connection is severed, just as it is with Asgore." She said in a somewhat distant tone, eyes dulling some. "None of us seem capable of aging the way things are now."

Sans hummed in a soft, thoughtful manner, and she heard the the soft sound as he lazily tapped his socked foot against the floor. She made herself look back at him then, finding he was looking at the floor with a hardened sort of expression, one that showed what there was a lot going on inside that skull of his. The small white dog even seemed to notice the heavier atmosphere, looking between the two of them with head tilted in confusion. It was the dog nudging Sans a little that seemed to bring the skeleton back to the present, and he stroked the animal's head in a small thankful gesture. Though his expression remained stiffer than usual as he met her gaze again.

"so that's what you've been worrying about, not aging?" He asked, pressing against her a little bit more as though to offer a silent sort of support.

She appreciated the gesture, and would have returned it with an affectionate little headbutt or something if she weren't suddenly feel so very drained. For a monster seemingly clinging to eternal youth, or well, eternal fairly young motherhood perhaps, it didn't stop her from feeling her true age at times. If only regarding matters of the soul.

In an effort to keep her mind from drifting and to give her paws something to do, she picked up her knitting needles and began to work once more on the project she'd briefly abandoned. That didn't distract her from answering though, perhaps it even made it easier to get the words to flow.

"You did ask me once if my immortality ever "got to me" did you not?" She replied, answering his question with a question of her own. "It had not as much reason to back then, when it served a purpose for me… but now…"

She trailed off briefly, moving the needles with practiced care to begin a new row of stitches. This time it was yellow thread, bright and cheerful in stark contrast to the dark cloud hanging over the conversation at hand.

"Our lives now have the promise of permeance, of a future we can look forward to and believe in." She said, emotion becoming more evident in her voice. "We have all gained so much, and grown so much since arriving here. It has all become so important to me… and I just… I cannot bear the idea of watching all of you grow old while I remain just as I am… forever. The idea of it… it terrifies me."

Her paws trembled and she fumbled a stitch. But rather than amend it, she let the small error remain and continued on, though at a slower pace. Beside her, she could feel Sans' magic grow colder at her words, as he must be trying to picture the dire future event she was envisioning. She knew he understood how it felt to be immortal, albeit in a very different way. He also knew what it was like to watch others die as a lone survivor. But the almost subtle terror of what Toriel was describing still clearly too him off guard.

"ah geez… tori... i... i'm so sorry." He said in low, almost breathless tone.

It struck her enough where she had to pause in her knitting once more and look at him again. Pain for her sake dimmed the lights of his eyes, and the mixture of sympathy and heartache that emanated from his soul was enough make her own soul feel leaden in turn. He surprised her then by gently setting the dog down and moving to wrap his arms around what he could reach of her middle. He rested his skull against her side, turning it some as an affectionate gesture to press into her dress when he spoke again.

"i'd be lying to say i've never thought about what your immortality could mean for the future." He admitted softly, kneading the fabric of her dress a bit between his phalanges. "i guess i just didn't want to think about it… and it was hard to compete for thoughtspace in this ol' skull for a while, for anything beyond the resets that is."

There was perhaps the barest attempt of humor there once more, but it shriveled shortly after. When Toriel didn't promptly respond, Sans went on, all attempts at levity gone.

"It's a damn scary thought..." He reasoned sympathetically, heavy waves of unease rippling out from his soul. "i can see why all that would weigh on you…"

She looked away again as she found she couldn't leave out a key element to all of this any longer. But it was… not something easily put into words. At least without undue implications. There was no avoiding it, so she needed to approach it carefully...

"Well… there _is_ a way to… rectify the situation." She began to hesitantly explain, starting to knit again in the same moment. "Though it would be a very serious choice… and no matter the circumstances, it would impact our whole family… and many others."

Sans seemed perplexed like that, quirking a brow ridge up at her quizzically. He seemed about to ask for more clarification when the realization hit him hard. Almost enough to leave him dazed.

" _oh_ … oh… right" He breathed, eyelights shrinking a bit in his sockets. "you'd… you'd have to…"

When he trailed off and didn't complete the sentence himself, she finished it for him.

"I would have to have another child." She stated quietly, continuing to weave the colorful thread between the two needles. "As things stand now, it is… the only way I could possibly begin to age again."

Sans went silent at that, and the air around them suddenly felt heavy. It wasn't a negative weight per say, but she couldn't discern just what it was with any certainty, and that only made her worry more about how he was taking it. She finished the last two stitches of the row and still he had said nothing, so she paused and faced him again with nervousness pinching at her soul. Her face heat up a bit as she realized just how he might have taken all this. Even the dog seemed to look shocked.

"Now dear... listen, before you… overthink things, I am not asking anything of you." She clarified quickly, offering a weak smile. "I am not even sure this is something I should be considering as much as I have been. At least… for right now anyway."

Her expression sobered up a bit again, and the thoughts that had been stirring within her all those weeks came spilling out in jumble of words.

"And even if I was looking at the possibility, there are a lot more options open to monsters regarding such things nowadays compared to ancient times." She said, slipping into her teaching voice a little. "I have heard about how some monsters donate the magic to make that possible. I am sure if… I decided to pursue this someday… Alphys would be happy to help me explore my potential options."

Sans still just stared back at her, his expression uncomfortably difficult to read. She cleared her throat and regained her earlier somber expression.

"Though Sans… if this did happen, and that is still a big _if_ at this point. I would not expect you to co-parent such a child or anything like that." She explained, figuring such thoughts must be at least part of what was causing him to seem so frozen. "It would be like how things are with my other children. You would no doubt play a role in that future hypothetical child's life with how things are now, but you would not have to take on any sort of... paternal role. This would be something I would choose to pursue myself, and I would take full responsibility for it."

She felt that should have covered things, made him relax again, but he still seemed off to her. But after a moment, he did blink and soften his eyelights with more recognizable emotions.

"would that… make you happy?" He asked with some hesitation.

She blinked, not expecting to hear that from him of all things. She tilted her head a bit, curiously.

"To not have to fear immortality any longer?" She asked.

Sans nervously shifted his hands within his hoodie pockets a bit before his expression softened up more.

"well yah that… but i also meant, like… having another kid, in that way. would that make you happy?" He asked, eyelights drifting downwards towards his socked feet "i know its uh… been a while for you."

The answer made his behavior clearer to her, if only just. And after a moment of pondering, a small but true smile appeared on her face and her eyes shone with fond nostalgia.

"Yes it has…" She confirmed, looking down at her knitting work. "And yes, It would be… an incredible honor to carry a child again. Pregnancy is a stressful and tumultuous process, but the rewards of it… why it would certainly outweigh any hardship I had to suffer."

Her smile strengthened and her eyes shone lightly as her soul grew warm within her. Her paw subconsciously drifted up to her middle, laying against her stomach as old memories drifted through her mind.

"It would certainly be incredible to bring a child into this new life we have built for ourselves." She said with a spark of excitement, voice becoming full of emotion. "Here on the surface where they would have so much more opportunity and freedom than those born Underground had. They would get to grow up under the light of the sun and stars, breathing the fresh air, with a whole world of places to explore and people to meet."

She closed her eyes for a moment, some of her earlier soberness returning, but not enough to rob the warmth from her soul. Sans just listened to her words in silence, and she could feel his and the dog's gaze on her all the while.

"Many a generation were denied all that… for far, far too long." She went on, curling her claws into the front of her dress a bit. "But those generations to come… like the Dogi's children… thinking of what different, brighter lives they will lead… it gives me such hope. And for all of us who are forever scarred by our experiences in the world below, I believe being part of raising and supporting the next generation will be greatly healing as well."

She smiled a little more at those sentiments, finding they made her soul stir within her. After a beat though, she realized she had just gone off into one of her tangents again. She cleared her throat and recomposed herself before going on.

"So… yes… to be able to have another child here on the surface… and to be able to age along with them into the future… That would certainly make me happy." She reiterated, in a far more stoic manner.

Sans continued to look up at her wordlessly, but it was not the same as before. The emotion in his eyelights was far less restrained, though understanding was the only one she could identify with confidence. When he looked down again, his brow bones knit together as he parsed through all she had just said. Usually, he would fidget a bit when he was thinking, drum his phalanges or mess with the drawstings of his hoodie, but this time he was almost unnaturally still. It was one of those moments where his lack of needing to breathe was made apparent.

She found herself moving before she realized what she was doing, but didn't stop when the compulsion was leading her to lean over and wrap him up in her arms. Like he had done for her before to the best of his ability, she gathered him close and rested her chin atop his skull. He didn't react with much surprise, used to her instinctual acts of affection at this point.

"All those worry lines do not suit you, my love." She murmured. "Please, do try not to dwell over this too much. I have no intention of making a decision about this right away. There would be so much to plan and account for if I did, after all. It could be quite some time before I can even fully wrap my head around the situation."

She rubbed his back a bit, tracing the shape of his spine under his plush clothing. It was an action meant to reassure him as well as herself.

"Everything will be fine." She assured in a stronger voice, putting the feelings into words as well. "Thank you, love… thank you for listening to me about all this. I know it must be a lot to take in..."

She waited then for him to reply, hoping her words had been enough to combat whatever had him so caught up over this. As much as all this weighed on her, she didn't want it to be a source of stress for him… not if she could prevent it anyway. He did indeed seem to relax shortly after as he leaned into the embrace and lightly return it. His stiffness didn't fade completely, but enough for her to feel satisfied. And when she gently released him from the hug, he spoke again in a tone that was far closer to his usual lighthearted one.

"heh… yah… alright tori. you're welcome. and thanks for telling me all that, couldn'tve been easy i'm sure..." He said, pausing for a moment as a few beads of sweat formed on his skull. "just… whatever you choose to do, if you decide to make that choice at some point... i'll support you, okay? you're a great mom, and you'd be a great mom to any other hypothetical future kids you may have."

Though he clearly wasn't done talking, he set his jaw for a beat, as though physically biting back further words that wanted to escape. But they eventually pushed passed whatever was holding them back, coming out in a quieter tone than usual, even for someone as soft spoken as he was.

"and… i'll… uh... do whatever i can to help."

That surprised her some, and she couldn't help but blink at him, rather nonplussed. It wasn't the words themselves exactly, they were rather what she had been expecting and hoping for, but rather that emotions behind it. He sounded… determined, which remained a rarity for him even for important things. Old habits die hard after all. But what reason exactly did he have for sounding that way about this situation? She had just ensured he understood that should she go down this road, it was something he wouldn't have to be deeply involved in. So why did he sound so dedicated, yet still somewhat conflicted?

Whatever the reason, she let it be for the moment, more inclined to thank him for his show of support. She nuzzled him lightly, and gently nudged her forehead against his skull in a show of affection. He let out a soft chuckle at that, nudging her back before carefully pulling her in for a kiss that left her lips faintly tingling with magic. His soul's emotions evened out more then, stabilizing to something more familiar, though to her perception, something still remained off.

After she thanked him once more, the initial topic of conversation steadily drifted away, replaced by quips and mundanities much more aligned with their usual conversations. She began to knit again as well, finding it far easier to work with much of the weight that had been plaguing her lifted off. It was only when Sans called attention to what she was creating that she slowed her rhythmic threading of the needles nearly to a stop again.

"uh… tori?" He said, eyeing her project uncertainly. "who are those socks for exactly? cuz' they're uh… pretty small."

She blinked, stopping her knitting entirely and looking down at her careful construction. They… _were_ socks. She hadn't really consciously been thinking about making socks, though it shouldn't have been surprising, as they were often her project of choice. But she also hadn't been intending on making them so small… They were too tiny to fit on anyone in the household. As if they were made for…

She swallowed nervously and felt a blush form on her face, realizing that the subject of their conversation may have been influencing her outside actions as well as her thoughts.

"Oh…" She said softly, before a sheepish smile appeared on her face. "Oh dear, I suppose I was uh… not paying attention."

She held the tiny socks up in front of her between the needles. Embarrassing as it was that she had made them, they were coming along nicely and were all but complete, it would be a waste to discard them now. She relaxed again and forced her smile to return to its usual softness.

"I guess I will simply send these to the Dogi, for little Dogriel." She said, before thinking more on it and tapping a claw against her chin. "Ah, but I suppose… that might be showing an unfair favoritism, would it not?"

The only solution then was to just make a pair for all the puppies. Her mind raced with thoughts regarding how much time and materials such a task would require. It added up to something rather unreasonable, but she didn't see any way out of it now that she had put it into words. She must have looked a bit helpless, for Sans gave a soft chuckle then and gave her arm a pat.

"howsabout i help you out?" He offered, shifting a bit to stretch his arms over his head with a few noisy pops. "so you don't stay up all night making seven more pairs of socks by yourself."

The offer was wonderfully kind, but it still embarrassed her further. Nonetheless, she was quick to nod and accept.

"I would appreciate that, my love, thank you." She said, setting her own work down again in order to pick up and hand him the tin she kept her knitting supplies in. "Do you remember how I have been teaching you?"

"eyup." He confirmed cooly, taking the tin from her and starting to pick through the necessary materials inside. "it's actually kinda relaxing, and once you get the rhythm down you can do it with barely any thought, which is great if you ask me."

She giggled lightly at that as she began work on finishing up the sock between her paws. Beside her, Sans decided on what needles and thread colors he wished to use and set those in place on his lap, having to offer a conjured up bone attack to keep the dog occupied and off of him. He had selected shades of blue, purple, gray, and gold, very fitting for him indeed.

"You say that dear, but I am sure many would still find it _sock_ ing to see you partake in such a thing." She teased lightly, happy when a pun came to her naturally like usual again.

It seemed to take Sans off guard, who looked at her with wide sockets before he snorted and began to laugh heartily at her joke, leaving him wheezing in its wake as did all her best puns. He wrapped an arm around his middle as he composed himself again, wiping the mirth from his sockets.

"wow tori, you got me good with that one." He wheezed giddily, before shooting her a wink. "it was really _off the hook._ "

And just like that, as a truly raucous laugh escaped her, they were pulled back into their usual, wonderful silly normalcy. It seemed then that the topic of discussion would be forgotten for the moment, pushed away by a wave of bad puns and lighthearted quips. But despite her attempts to banish his worries regarding the subject, she could tell it was still weighing on his mind.

For what reason, she couldn't be sure, but she'd let him try and sort that out for himself before potentially pressing him for any answers. She had sprung this on him rather suddenly after all, and no matter how she potentially went about this in the future, he would be involved in some way, if things remained as they were. It was only natural he'd need time to process what she was considering.

Still, she couldn't help but feel worried as she watched him quietly beginning to work the colorful thread through the needles beside her, again with that expression that was so difficult to parse. All that was clear was that he was deep in thought, something that always caused a subtle waver in his eyelights and furrowing of his brow ridges. What those thoughts could be continued to escape her perception, but she resolved to keep a closer eye on him until it became clear how he felt about the whole situation. She knew she'd never feel right about pursuing anything further otherwise.

Sans was quick to direct the conversation back to their usual banter though, long talks about anything and nothing in particular, with plenty of jokes and silliness worked in. So for the time being, the thought was left to the wayside once more as she and her dear skeleton knitted tiny socks for tiny puppy paws. All the while their own still unofficial dog of the house gnawed on a bone beside them. All leading into yet another good end to another overall good day for both of them.

But like before, such actions couldn't placate the idea that haunted her fully, only ward it off for the time being. Though this time, she wondered if she would be the one who truly suffered the worst of its effects when it chose to come to a head once more. Perhaps instead, it would be her dear skeleton who would next break the inevitable silence on the issue. But only time would tell.

And Toriel still had all the time in the world.


	3. Eve

Time passed on, just as it always had and always would.

Sometimes at a crawl, sometimes at a near blinding speed, and most often in some difficult to grasp mix of the two. Toriel found that trading the endless unchangingness of the Ruins for the rapidly evolving world of the surface made her far more aware of time's passage, as did the knowledge of the Resets and all that nebulous time they had all lost because of it.

And as time passed, the discussion that she and Sans had that summer day faded into the background. But like a creature that loomed invisibly within the shadows, it remained ever lingering, ever waiting for it's chance to strike and cause great heartache once more. But overall, life and its many distractions kept both her and her dear skeleton busy enough to avoid giving it the attention it craved, and life had been providing ample distraction as of late.

Weeks bled into months, the heat of summer gave way to the chill and colors of fall and then finally to the deep, quiet cold of winter. Birthdays were celebrated, along with a great number of joyous holidays. Halloween, the day of gratitude and great feasts, Gyftmas, all celebrated more properly since the first time they had all been introduced to such occasions and how their festivities traditionally went on the surface. And all with a family unit that had grown ever closer after the difficult events of that spring.

So many new memories were made, bonds strengthened, expansions to Newer Home constructed, steps towards more stable relations with humanity as a whole achieved. And… many new monsters were born all over Newer Home. One by one, forming the first generation born free.

Truly, it really did feel as though the collective wounds monsterkind had suffered during their imprisonment were steadily making progress in healing. So it was fair to say that as their second year on the surface came to a close, all were more excited than ever before to see what the future would bring. Both at long last and all at once, all of monsterkind were set to celebrate their second New Years Eve on the surface.

Toriel and her family were celebrating the occasion at Grillby's, where many of their closest friends and family had also congregated for the night. There was a great atmosphere of cheer and excitement around the establishment, as the newly installed TV above the bar displayed the countdown event happening in some far away human city. There was still quite some time before the big moment they were all waiting for, but already the drinks were flowing with gusto.

Thankfully this party was an adults only event, with no impressionable young eyes to witness the overindulgence happening all around Toriel's table. Her children and many of her students were instead at a sleepover and new year's party of their own at Kayla and Devon's house, much to the human twins' delight. Even Flowey, morose as he acted about it, seemed eager to set off and meet up with the others when she had dropped the children off, so she had hope they would all have fun and welcome the new year with smiles on their faces.

As much as she wished she were with them on such an important day, she did have to admit that she wasn't too fussed about how things were going either. She was getting more and more used to crowds and being out in public again, and thanks to Sans taking her along on more of his regular visits to the bar, a lot of the awed staring that once occurred at the sight of her had stopped. There was a bit more of that tonight with so many first time visitors in the bar's cheery crowd, but it was plenty bearable, especially with the friendly company she was surrounded by.

Everyone was here it seemed, at the largest table near the back of the bar. Alphys, Undyne, Asgore, Papyrus, and even Mettaton and his crew had joined them, including his usually endlessly shy cousin, who was at least willing themself to stay somewhat visible in their place beside the robot. Plus a good deal of her co-workers from the school like Xena, Torch and Benji mingled about and occasionally joined them at the table too. All the familiar faces kept her at ease, even as the celebrating all around grew more energetic.

And then there was Sans of course, seemingly totally at ease as he sat in the chair beside her munching on potato chisps dipped in ketchup. But just as she had time and time again over the past few months, Toriel could see flickers of that expression of deep thought on his face. An expression that really did not match the celebratory atmosphere all around them.

Even now, she was still unsure just what that expression was hiding, even after multiple attempts to coax it out of him. When she did, he always replied with the same answer he had given that day she'd told him of her secret worries. It wasn't as though the answer was a lie, he clearly meant it every time, it just seemed there was… more to it than that, perhaps something he wasn't even fully sure of. And because he always recovered quickly and life's distractions were always there to demand attention more persistently than the issue at hand, the thought simply just got temporarily swept away once more.

But even if she didn't know what exactly was going on in the skeleton's mind when he wore that expression, she knew what had caused it to reappear now of all times. The air was filled with excited discussion of the new year, and what it would mean for monsterkind. Everyone spoke of new beginnings, the bright and hopeful future, it was the nature of this holiday after all. And inevitably… some also spoke of the next generation of monsters that was slowly being added to, many of which would be calling this new year the one of their birth.

It had been Alphys in fact who said it first, bringing up the Dogi's puppies as well as how all the monsters finding so much joy and hope again in their lives would naturally lead to a uptick in additions to the population. Going on about how such emotions would strengthen their souls as more grew to believe in the possibility of a wonderful, peaceful future ahead, making conception spells far more likely to succeed if attempted.

Toriel had a tertiary understanding of what was being said, but she had to admit most of it still went over her head, especially when Alphys dove into the scientific aspects behind it. But it was still good to know that the still quite small monster population would likely be growing again soon, after it had been steadily shrinking away due to more and more monsters losing hope in the dark confines in the Underground. Just as she had proclaimed at the gravesite of her former first human friend turned traitor a while back, monsterkind was proving itself capable of thriving again into the new year and far beyond.

But it inevitably stirred up those old thoughts again, like poking a sleeping dragon with a stick. And even though she did all she could to remain focused on the casual conversation around the table, she could feel the anxiety and foreboding that came with reminders of her immortality welling up steadily inside her. Everyone here was here to celebrate the beginning of another year of growth and change for the better. But part of Toriel could only think of it as yet another year where she would remain just the same, whilst watching those she cared for grow a little older, widening the gulf forming between them. Could that be at least part of what Sans was thinking about as well?

Thankfully, before her despairing thoughts could truly take hold, a loud boisterous voice snapped her back to the present.

"Hey, earth to bonehead!"

The exclamation caused both her and Sans to start a bit, but Sans was able to recover from it far quicker than she did. It didn't seem she was the target of the words though, as Undyne, the source of the voice, was looking directly as Sans with her one yellow eye.

The skeleton's usual large grin spread across his face, eliminating all traces of the mysterious expression he'd been wearing. It was also a marvel to her how quickly he could slip into his expected laid back demeanor. Though now that she knew him as well as she did, his facade no longer worked on her. She could still see the stiffness in his posture that betrayed he'd been startled out of deep thought. But Undyne didn't appear to notice, simply taking his reaction as a sign of his typical dozing.

"Sheesh, don't tell me you are falling asleep before the countdown. C'mon, have _some_ energy! This is a big freaking deal! It's gonna be a brand new year!" Undyne exclaimed from her place across the table, grinning wide and flaring out her facial fins.

Beside her, Papyrus nodded with enthusiasm, in the middle of taking a long sip of his free glass of milk, his recompense for being the designated driver of the night. It was an honor also marked by a sticker Grillby had given him which he displayed proudly over the emblem on his battle body.

Sans gave a lazy shrug in response, munching on another chip.

"i think you're forgetting who you're talking to." He said mid-chew, allowing the food to dissolve into magic before going on. "but nah, i wasn't sleeping, just playing _ketchup_ with everything going on."

A collective set of groans swept over those listening, apart from Toriel of course, who just giggled softly into her paw. As well as he had recovered from his moment of spaciness, Toriel decided to change the subject in an attempt to keep the others from prying further. She was sure she and him had been caught up in similar thoughts, and those were best avoided as much as possible, at least until the festivities were done.

Since it was clear that dreaded idea was near surfacing again, she could make an effort to bring it up to him once they got home. She had allowed distraction to keep her from doing so all these months any time she saw signs of him still ruminating on the issue, or when she herself had again been reminded of it. But it was clearer the ever tonight that both of them couldn't afford to keep avoiding the topic. She made a vow to herself to ensure they discussed it again after the party. Though she reasoned they very well might be more than a little intoxicated by then, and whether that would make it easier or more difficult to have that talk was up to question.

Whatever the case, she tried her best to ignore the dread clawing at her soul and focus on the cheerful atmosphere at hand.

"Do you have any new years resolutions this year Undyne?" She asked as she absently picked at the sleeves of knitted sweater she was wearing, figuring it was the thing to talk about tonight of all nights.

The fish monster grinned wider and brought her fists down excitedly on the table, causing a few plates of snacks to launch upward a bit.

"Hell yeah! I'm gonna work out enough until I can bench press at least _fourteen_ kids at the school!" She declared, flexing her toned arms dramatically. "And then eventually the _WHOLE CLASS!_ "

Toriel offered a nervous laugh at that, starting to regret allowing Undyne to ever do that in the first place. She wouldn't quash her enthusiasm right now, but she may very well have to step in in the future to prevent things from getting too dangerous. Undyne sat back down in her chair, looking quite pleased with her answer. She then lightly elbowed Alphys, who was still blushing a bit from her girlfriend's display.

"What about you babe, didn't you mention something earlier?" Undyne asked, with an encouraging grin.

Alphys grew a little sweaty as everyone's gaze turned to her, but she composed herself quickly enough and cleared her throat before speaking.

"W-well…" She began, wringing her hands a bit. "I've b-been working on my self confidence and all, and I think I've been d-doing better..."'

Undyne loudly affirmed that notion, and a collective agreement was echoed by all present. Including Mettaton, who had rolled over from his place with the rest of the group to stand beside Alphys with Napstablook in tow. He and his cousin were both wearing scarves and winter caps. How those things would be at all useful for a robot, Toriel didn't know. Though perhaps like most things with the robot, it was just for show.

Mettaton clapped his hands in response to Alphys' words whilst his speakers played the sound of a full audience's applause. He then tossed one of his bomb attacks into the air which burst into multi-colored confetti, and his screen displayed a pixelated heart. All present were a little startled, but many were more than expecting something like that from the theatrical robot. At least it wasn't glitter this time.

Toriel brushed the bits of colorful paper off of herself, doing her best to ignore the ringing in her ears. Having large ears had its downsides, certainly. Loud noises being one of them. But Alphys seemed touched enough by the gesture, even is she too was laughing nervously, so Toriel supposed it was fine. She didn't usually care too much for Mettaton and his often self absorbed nature, but he certainly had his moments now and then.

"You have been doing fabulously darling!~" Mettaton gushed, gesturing dramatically to her and then to his cousin floating beside him. "And so has Blooky! You both have come so far."

The ghost flushed at the praised, their semi translucent form darkening around the face.

"Oh… I… I guess so…" They said, shyly pulling up their scarf a bit. "Thanks... Metta… I guess I… have the same resolution..."

The robot reached up an extendable arm and patted them fondly on the head. Alphys' smile brightened at the whole exchange, continuing with what she was planning to add earlier before the sudden theatrical interruption.

"B-Beyond continuing with all that, I just want t-to uh… l-learn how to apply my skills in places that can h-help people. Use them for… f-for good y'know?"

Mettaton's screen flashed again at that, and for a moment Toriel feared a repeat of the last incident. But instead he simply patted Alphys' head just as he had patted Napstablook's. She didn't seem to be as happy with the gesture as the ghost had been, but accepted it nonetheless.

"And you are doing just wonderfully in that front as well!" The robot declared, before gesturing to himself and twirling a bit on his singular wheel. "After all, I am the greatest example of that!"

After everyone voiced agreement, including Toriel who was happy to praise Alphys' efforts and achievements at the school, Mettaton spun around again and zipped over to Papyrus, much to the skeleton's delight.

"What about you, darling?~" The robot asked, suddenly procuring a microphone and holding it up to Papyrus' face. "Any resolutions to share?"

Papyrus beamed and his sockets sparkled with joy at being given attention by his idol. He spared no expense in getting up in his chair and making the most dramatized reply he could.

"I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, NEED NO RESOLUTIONS." He declared with brimming confidence, laying a gloved hand against his chest. "BUT I SUPPOSE IF I WERE TO GIVE ONE FOR THE SAKE OF TRADITION, IT WOULD BE TO DO WELL IN MY COLLEGE CLASSES AND CONTINUE TO MAKE MORE FRIENDS. BUT I ALREADY KNOW I WILL DO BOTH ANYWAY! NYEH HEH HEH!"

Mettaton seemed pleased by the answer, and again played the sound of rapturous applause. The rest of the table added to it, though at a more reasonable volume.

"Splendid! Splendid!~" Mettaton praised him in tone akin to his usual TV host voice, only making Papyrus even more overcome with joy.

The robot then wheeled down the length of the table in a rush that was enough to blow bits of confetti all over the place again. One bright pink one landed squarely on the end of Toriel's muzzle. She blew it away with a puff of slightly hot air through her nostrils. Needless to say, Mettaton's overly dramatized takeover of her simple question for everyone was not helping settle her nerves at all. The robot had stopped abruptly right next to Asgore, extending his arm to hold the microphone up to the boss monster's face.

"And what about you, your highness?" Mettaton asked, really diving headlong into treating this as a performance at this point. "What great resolution do you have for the upcoming new year?"

Asgore looked a bit taken aback by that, though clearly not for the same reason Toriel had been startled out of her reverie earlier. It did make her wonder though… did similar thoughts plague her ex-husband as they did her? He was trapped in his immortality the same as she was, after all. But no, no… she needn't dwell on that right now. Not tonight. But she did quietly store that thought away with the others, knowing that, though she still was far from totally comfortable around him, it may be worth discussing the matter with someone who was likely to understand. In time anyway… a time that wasn't now.

"Oh me? Golly…" Asgore replied in surprise before lightly scratching his cheek with a claw in thought until he appeared to settle on an answer. "Mine shall be to continue to work towards ideal relations between humans and monsters… of course."

There was not as much enthusiasm for that answer, as everyone at the table realized Asgore was missing the point of a resolution in that it was supposed to be about personal growth rather than politics. When the expected answer didn't garner the same reaction as the other ones had, and after a particularly knowing glance from Undyne, Asgore gulped and tried to find something more to add.

"And… well… um…" He stammered out, eyes darting back and forth until he seemed to think of something. "Maybe... finally accept one of those offers for a date that have occasionally come my way?"

Toriel blinked, surprised to hear that from him. She and him had discussed the matter of him also moving on in a romantic sense earlier that fateful spring. But it had been clear then that he was not yet ready for that as she had been, and as much as she could quietly find that ridiculous after over a century, she did her best to be understanding. But now it seemed like there was a possibility he could finally consider pursuing a new relationship again... if of course he wasn't just saying that to give a quick and easy answer in the face of pressure.

Mettaton and the others at the table were clearly more excited to hear that answer, including a particularly enthusiastic exclamation of support from Undyne. Mettaton for his part placed a hand over where one might surmise his mouth would be, with a gasp fit for the broadway stage.

"Oh my! How wonderful!" He exclaimed, the heart symbol returning to his screen and flashing brightly. "Perhaps I could hook you up with someone on my MTT™ blind dating show~ It is proving to be a very popular program."

Asgore smiled nervously in response at that, and was quick to shake his head.

"Um… I appreciate the offer, but I think I'd rather handle this on my own." He said with a nervous chuckle, trying to let the robot's offer down gently. "I am just surprised I have been asked by as many people as I have. Human and monster alike."

Mettaton waved a hand dismissively at that, as though it were a truly ridiculous statement.

"Well you shouldn't be, you are quite the catch, your highness!" He assured, before playing a sound effect of wolf whistle through his speakers, much to Asgore's further embarrassment.

Thankfully for her ex-husband's sake, as well as the rest of them tiring of Mettaton's antics, Shyren drifted over to the robot and whispered something where his ear would be.

"Well it seems Blooky and I are needed, friends. I must bid you all adieu for now." He said, starting to wheel backwards and pointing a finger gun in Asgore's direction. "My offer still stands if you change your mind, darling~"

Asgore just let out another awkward laugh before slumping in his chair with a sigh once the robot was out of sight. Toriel mirrored that relief, glad to be feeling a bit more calm return to the table's atmosphere. Papyrus looked disappointed though, watching after Mettaton as he vanished back into the exuberant crowd.

"DRAT... WE DIDN'T GET TO ASK HIM WHAT HIS RESOLUTION WOULD BE." The skeleton noted sadly.

Alphys let out a sound between a chuckle and a sigh before leaning over to give Papyrus' arm a reassuring pat.

"I-It's probably to get that planned worldwide tour s-set in motion." She said with a smile that almost seemed tinged with pride. "He's been pretty excited about h-how talks for that are going. It would s-sure be great for human monster relations if it works out."

That answer seemed to satisfy the skeleton, who regained a sparkle to his sockets and began excitedly asking Alphys questions regarding Mettaton's plans. Toriel more or less subconsciously tuned them out, finding her gaze and mind wandering once more despite her attempts to prevent that from happening. She looked at the happy faces of the monsters in the crowd around her, caught snippets of their joyful exchanges as they made plans for the new year. It made an ache return to her chest, harsh with the feeling of otherness and detachment, knowing she could never see a new year the same way they did anymore.

She continued to visually comb over the crowd with dark thoughts encroaching in on her once more. But like before, it was someone asking a question of her dear skeleton that made her focus return in a flash.

"Wh-what about you S-Sans?" Alphys said, apparently having finished her conversation with Papyrus.

Toriel blinked, unsure how much time had passed since her mind went adrift again. She looked over at Sans, equally curious to know his answer, and eager for the distraction of it as well. But she found that he was looking back at her, subtly so, without turning to face her, but still enough to be noticed. He must have picked up on her brief slip of focus, and she couldn't help but feel both impressed and vexed at his ability to sense these things. Their gazes communicated something between them and then his expression flowed into that one she had come to dread seeing so much.

It came and went so quickly though, as it had vanished again just as he turned back to Alphys. He hummed thoughtfully at the lizard monster's question, though almost sarcastically, and lazily drummed his phalanges on the tabletop. Finally he leaned back more in his chair with his hands in his hoodie pockets, offering up a wide, but somewhat tired grin, as though thinking over the question had been draining for him somehow.

"eh, i don't really like the idea of making resolutions. feels too much like a promise you most likely won't keep." He said with a shrug, before his eyelights drifted downwards. "but uh… i guess if i had to pick one. it'd be to just spend more time with all you guys. nothing better after all than good friends, good food, bad laughs. a new year fulla' that sounds pretty nice."

He shifted a bit in his seat, a few beads of sweat appearing on his skull. Toriel could see he was hesitating in saying something. But like what he had said that day that she had told him of her thoughts regarding her immortality, he eventually summoned up the nerve to get the words out.

"and y'know… maybe find ways to uh… give back a little more… to you all. be a bit more uh… involved with things i guess." He said in a less confident tone than before, subtly sinking lower into his fluffy winter hoodie more and more with every few words.

By the time he'd finished speaking only his eye sockets and top of his skull were visible, and a faint blush had spread across his face to pair with the drops of sweat running down his skull. Everyone at the table seemed rather surprised to hear him say what he did. Though perhaps not as much as they would have been before all the events of that spring. Still, it was no small thing to hear him voice a desire to be more involved in the lives of his friends and family. Beyond those who had so integral of breaking him from his apathy even.

Toriel especially knew how hard putting forth that kind of dedication and investment was for him, still haunted by the echoes of how the Resets had once so often made such things meaningless. He'd been making great progress as of late, slowly and steadily breaking from his routines of distance and flippancy in small but meaningful ways. Doing so with her, Papyrus and even Frisk came easier of course. But with others it was a more delicate process, for it was logical that the more people he allowed himself to grow close to and deepen bonds with, the more he stood to lose should Frisk ever Reset again. The more devastation he'd invite to his soul.

So for him to make such a vow now, it was a big step in conquering his fears, even if it had still clearly been difficult for him to push through his fears enough to do it. But something else about his words struck her as well in that moment. It could be she was only imagining things… but she could have sworn he had made brief eye contact with _her_ near the end. That much stuck with her, inevitably sending her mind scrambling to understand what he had meant by that look.

He had already allowed himself so much trust in her, even when he was at his lowest. And he had supported her just the same during her own struggles. They had both shared their histories and greatest secrets. They had been each other's source of stability when Sans' revelations and the aftermath following them had them both reeling near the breaking point. What more involvement could he possibly think he should still have?

She reasoned she must be imagining things and simply reached over to give him a pat on the skull that was all at once reassuring and teasing. He shot her a flat look for that, grumbling something under his breath that was muffled by all the thick fluff of his hood. To counter that, she left her paw atop his skull and leaned over to place a little kiss against his cheekbone. That did nothing for the blue magic coloring his face, but his expression softened up once the initial shock had worn off and the way his soul's warmth then began tangible as it rolled of him in waves seemed to make up for it.

The others around them, quite used to the little displays of affection she and Sans allowed themselves in front of them at this point, regarded it with little more than a smile and a few chuckles. Papyrus though paid it little mind at all, fully focused on what Sans had presented as his new year's resolution.

"THAT WAS SO SWEET BROTHER!" He exclaimed, bringing his gloved hands together dramatically. "AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN RUIN IT WITH SOME AWFUL PUN! I AM SO PROUD!"

Sans' eyelights seemed to gain a shimmer at that, clearly happy to hear his brother's approval, but that last part Papyrus had said was clearly too much of a temptation to resist. Sans quickly recovered from briefly being flustered, and his grin widened to the size it only reached when he was about to offer up a truly terrible joke. But Papyrus narrowed his sockets and set his jaw in firm defiance.

" _DON'T._ " He said simply, in a definitive tone.

Sans relented, but chuckled heartily at his brother's expense for a few moments. Toriel joined him in that, and was surprised to hear many of the others also laugh along with him. It cultivated a wonderfully warm atmosphere, as Sans' surprisingly heartfelt words set the tone of another short while of pleasant conversation. It was only when Papyrus seemed to remember that she herself had not contributed to the discussion at hand beyond starting it that he directed the group's attention back at her.

"AND WHAT OF YOU, TORIEL?" He asked, grinning excitedly. "WHAT IS YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION GOING TO BE?"

Toriel blinked, not expecting the question after the topic had died off somewhat. She had offered it as a means of diverting conversation before to aid in her distraction, not really taking into consideration she'd be expected to offer up a resolution as well. All eyes turned to her, and with that lingering anxiety stirring within her it couldn't help but feel a bit oppressive, even with nothing but curiosity and happiness in her loved ones' eyes. She swallowed, mind going blank momentarily, until she glanced down at Sans and saw the warmth reflected in his eyelights. He gave her an encouraging wink and It made her smile reflexively, clearing her mind enough to formulate a response.

"Well… I suppose very much the same as Sans really. I want to spend more time with you all, and form… new memories, all the ones we can. So that we may... " She trailed briefly, some somberness entering her scarlet eyes as the rest of the words flowed almost unbidden. "...So we may always cherish the time we are all still here like this."

Most at the table didn't pick up on any heaviness to those words, apart from the two who at different times had held her soul's affection. Both her current love and her ex husband looked upon her with a hint of concern amongst the expected warmth, whilst the others simply smiled and voiced agreement. She could feel those two gazes in particular linger on her though, and decided to again make a move to maintain the cheerful atmosphere. If at least for the sake of everyone else, those who could enjoy this holiday for what it was meant to be, rather than be burdened by thoughts of living forever.

"Ah, this is usually the part where we toast, is it not?" She said with the best smile she could muster up, noting the lack of any drinks to do the deed with.

Across the table, Undyne grinned and began to get up from her chair. Papyrus groaned, knowing what was to come and clearly not liking it one bit.

"I'm on it." The fish monster said, clearly excited by the prospect.

She got to her feet and shouted across the noisy bar to the fire elemental near the back, waving so quickly that her arm almost became a blur.

"Hey Grillby! We're ready for you over here!" She announced, earning a few enthusiastic whoops of approval from many of the already intoxicated monsters around them.

Grillby, who thankfully had recently hired a deal of staff to assist him in running the bar, was able to finish up refilling a large plant monster's glass and make his way over to them before long. He looked far less stressed than usual, even on this most busy holiday, so it seemed fair to say his initially reluctant decision to bring on more help had turned out good for him in the end. He stood with his usual poise at the end of their table, ready with a notepad and pen.

"Good evening… and happy new year to you all…" He greeted them in his usual monotone, though with just enough of a hint of warmth to show familiarity. "What can I get you..?"

Undyne, having been the one who so eagerly called him over, was the first to place an order. With all the same energy as before.

"Two hotshots, for me and Al." She said, her single eye sparkling. "Make em extra spicy! I WANT TO FEEL MY TONGUE MELTING OFF!"

Alphys gulped and gave Grillby a nervous look. The elemental waved a hand assuringly, apparently understanding her silent plea and taking note of it on his clipboard. Asgore was next, but he declined any alcohol, asking instead for a simple hot chocolate with marshmallows. Papyrus was promised he'd get another refill of milk, which was more than enough for him. Finally, Grillby directed his attention in hers and Sans' direction, addressing the skeleton first.

"For you… Sans?" He asked. "Do you plan on... drinking tonight?"

Sans hummed in thought for a moment, tapping a phalange against his exposed teeth. Something in his eyelights then shifted, and Toriel glimpsed a bit of his underlying stress show through. That burned away into something more determined that made his eyelights glow sharply within his sockets, and he paired it with a confident sort of grin.

"you know what, yah… it's a holiday and all, so why not go a bit more extravagant?" He said with a shrug, before intensifying his expression further. "bring me the winter fireball."

A few gasps rang out across the table from those who knew what he was talking about. Even the ever stoic grillby seemed a little surprised. Toriel though, notably did _not_ know what they were talking about and could only look at Sans in confusion. Alphys piped up from across the table, sounding concerned.

"B-But Sans, that one is s-so…" She stammered out, before Sans finished the statement for her.

"yah i know, it's a real _hot_ one, heh." He quipped, shooting the lizard monster a wink. "pretty intense for a _chill_ guy like me, don't worry though, i can handle it."

Undyne laughed out her approval, but everyone else seem to keep a healthy skepticism. Toriel could only assume this drink of mention was some truly potent and likely magical concoction that only truly brave, or truly foolish, souls would ever dare partake in. Toriel gave Sans a look, one that clearly communicated she was not all that enthusiastic about this idea. She remembered well how badly drinking could affect the skeleton, even with his generally decent tolerance for the stuff. His expression grew a bit nervous at her disapproval, but he didn't promptly back down from it.

In the end, she knew she couldn't control what he chose to partake in. Judging him for that would be more than a little hypocritical. Nor could she blame him really for wanting something stronger on a night like this. If she was right in her perceptions that he was experiencing similar emotions to her own about all this talk regarding the new year and the next generation, she could honestly see the appeal. So she didn't voice any dissent, though it did get thoughts of her own spinning through her mind once again, twisting off in different directions. Figuring he was in the clear, Sans nodded up to Grillby again.

"If you are sure…" The fire elemental said after a moment, writing Sans' choice down more slowly than the others. "And you, Toriel...?"

She hesitated in her answer. She'd initially intended to order a simple glass of wine, her usual go to choice for this sort of outing, as fun as the "hot-shots" could be on occasion. But rationalizing Sans' sudden taste for the more extravagant, magical drink had got her thinking. All the stress of her inner turmoil still had a risk of manifesting in a way that was more obvious before the night was over, and there was little chance she was going to explain her existential woes to everyone during such an important, happy event. They deserved to enjoy it, not potentially spend it worrying needlessly over her. And she did know one way to ensure she would remain giddy and out of it enough to not get dragged into such heavy thoughts again for the rest of the holiday...

Her rational side flared up and defied her immediately, flooding her with reasons the choice her mind was drifting towards was a bad one. But they all but fell on deaf ears in comparison to the side of her all but begging her to follow her impulses. This was a party after all, and she hadn't had a drink in some time. Why not let it be memorable? It was not as though this would be affecting any of her duties with her children or the school with the way things had been planned after all.

After the night was over and they were all entering their first day of the new year, _then_ she could address the subject of her immortality with Sans again… and potentially speak to the others about it as well if the conversation proved itself to be meaningful. But for now…

"I will… have what he is having." She said to Grillby in a composed, formal manner.

The gasps of surprise swept over the table again, and an expression of the same emotion reappeared on Grillby's face. She could feel Sans looking at her just the same as well, though she did little but offer him a playful smirk. It took a moment but he slowly returned it, and then chuckled in a mix of amusement, concern and bewilderment. Though he in turn offered no words to stop her, simply shrugging helplessly up at Grillby for his part. A momentary silence swept over the table, for many of them knew the legends of what Toriel's drinking could lead to, and some like Sans and Asgore had witnessed it first hand. Undyne was the one who broke the silence with a whoop of approval and amazement.

"FUHUHU! Hell yeah! _Now_ it's a party!"

Toriel had made a mistake.

That wasn't a surprise. She had put herself into this situation. It wasn't the first time, nor was it likely to be the last with her weaknesses. But there was no denying in that moment that she had done something regrettable. Though what exactly that mistake was eluded her. It was hard to focus on such things when your mind was adrift in a sea of magic and alcohol induced giddiness. The "winter fireball" turned out to be quite the extravagant, affecting drink indeed.

It had come out in special glasses, only slightly filled with a bright blue magical concoction that flickered and sparked like flames around a white sphere of magically infused ice. The ice ball became enwreathed in the pseudo flames as Grillby set them down, making the drinks quite the impressive sight. They had exuded a great magical energy and Toriel could easily see why this particular drink made most cower from it. Nevertheless, she felt she had made the decision to take on this challenge with Sans and now she had to follow through with it. No matter how much it went against her better judgement.

Those more in the know at the table informed her that the intended method of downing the drink was to gulp it all at once and then let the "winter fireball" melt in your mouth. The effects then were said to be rapid, and be more than enough to leave the drinker thoroughly sloshed for a good long while. Hearing all that almost made her get cold feet, as her logical side all but bashed her over the head and screamed at her to have some sense. But upon seeing all the expecting eyes on her, and the equally nervous but determined expression on her dear skeleton's face… she took the plunge.

Though what may have indeed set her over the edge likely could have been the flickers of those damned intrusive thoughts attempting to creep in again during that moment as well. The imposing drink before her promised to banish those thoughts for a time she had no interest or will to deal with them. so she accepted it's temptations, clinked her glass against Sans', and downed the magically charged liquid in tandem with him. To the cheers of many onlookers.

It had burned, like fire and ice all at once. But for a monster like her the burn was plenty bearable and even enjoyable. And as the drink slid down her throat and the ball of burning ice rested on her tongue, she was hit with the wave of magic, strong enough to make her vision swim and leave her body tingling, akin to the feeling she got when her limbs "fell asleep." Beside her, Sans was equally affected, the surge of magic causing his left eyelight to flare to life and flash erratically. But they had both done it, and before the ball of ice had melted fully, Toriel had felt the alcohol's effects taking hold. Making everything… slowly… shift...

And after that… everything had been a blur…

Little things were clear. She knew there had been a lot of uproarious laughter and slurred jokes, a karaoke set up that had at some point involved her and Sans singing some song she wasn't even sure she knew about doing things better than one another, watching others also take on the dreaded winter fireball, and perhaps some pie throwing? Hanging wine glasses on her horns? And something about legs coming out of the wall... All those things were fuzzy though and almost felt part of a dream, though clearly she was far from free from the alcohol's grip on her. Just enough to recognize whatever she'd done had somehow led her not to be in the bar anymore.

She was… in a car? Yes, that made sense. She was moving while sitting down and that generally didn't happen anywhere but in vehicles. She recognized the car too, it was Papyrus' convertible, albeit with the roof portion closed up, thankfully keeping them from being bombarded with the frigid winter wind. And once she blinked and tried to shake herself into awareness a little more, she could see not just the blurry image of Papyrus in the driver's seat, but Asgore in the passenger's seat next to him. She just stared at the two for a long moment, trying to make sense of what was occurring through her alcohol addled brain. Things slowly began to sink in, but the process was sluggish.

Then she attempted to put her most pressing question that welled up into words.

"What iss… happenin'?" She mumbled, surprised at how slurred her words were.

But the two monsters in the front seats didn't seem all too surprised to hear her speak, nor by the slurring. Perhaps that indicated that she'd been talking before she'd apparently lost her grasp on time and ended up in her current situation. She heard Papyrus sigh, and there was an edge of annoyance to the tone of it. But he managed to work up his usual critical tone he often used with his brother rather than anything he likely would consider crude.

"ME AND ASGORE ARE TAKING YOU AND SANS HOME, _THAT_ ' _S_ WHAT'S HAPPENING!" He declared, without taking his sockets off the road.

A goofy sounding and familiar giggle followed those words, and she was suddenly aware that there was someone leaning against her side. The identity of that someone made itself clear when he spoke up from beside her.

"heh hehh, yup, we got caught by the funn policce." Sans drawled, sounding just as intoxicated as Toriel felt in that moment.

She turned her hazy gaze down at him, noting his wobbly grin and fuzzy eyelights that confirmed her suspicions. Not to mention the waves of stirred, unsteady magic rolling off of him. So it seems they were still both heavily feeling the effects of the "winter fireball." Which either spoke wonders of its potency and longevity, or whatever they had been doing back at the bar under its influence had been enough to earn them a ride home. Toriel was still too out of it to feel much shame for that, moreso amusement if anything. But she still couldn't help but recognize that her little plan of using the dubious drink as a means of distracting herself from what had been bothering her before had worked a little… too well, and had not been her wisest decision.

Still, she found herself giggling at Sans' silly expression rather than dwelling on that, something her dear skeleton found quite infectious. Asgore spoke over their poorly muffled laughter, preventing her unfocused perception from drifting away from the situation again.

"We… thought it best for both of your sakes." Her ex-husband explained, offering an apologetic smile. "Things were getting a little out of hand at the party anyway with more and more people getting inspired to uh... follow your example as it were, and we didn't want to risk you two potentially… well... partaking in anything further with your current impaired judgement."

In her present state of impairment, Toriel couldn't decide to be cross with him for what he was saying or not. She tilted her head a bit at him, narrowing her eyes in thought as what he had said steadily started to actually make sense. He was worried about them drinking further beyond the one extravagant drink that had clearly been enough. That was enough to keep her frown in place. She was drunk, clearly. Even while drunk she could recognize that. Yes, she had clearly made a mistake, but she wasn't _that_ irresponsible.

"thas dumb fluffybunss." Sans slurred through another chuckle, seeming to agree with her. "the fireballss all ya ever neeed."

Toriel sluggishly nodded her agreement, though she only had this night as an reference to draw from. But Asgore simply kept speaking rather than address their sound arguments.

"That... wasn't the only reason." He explained, running his claws through his beard nervously. "Sans… well…"

From the driver's seat, Papyrus finished the monster king's sentence with a good deal of vexation in his voice.

"HE TELEPORTED FOR WHO KNOWS WHAT REASON AND GOT HIMSELF STUCK IN THE WALL!" He exclaimed, clearly fighting the urge to gesticulate dramatically along with his words as he usually did.

Toriel blinked at that, once again taking longer than usual to grasp what Papyrus meant. Then that image of legs coming out of the wall at Grillby's resurfaced in her mind. Now that she had been reminded, she definitely remembered those as Sans' legs. His rear half had been still inside the bar, slippered feet and all, while the rest of him, including his head and arms had been presumably outside. She had experienced and witnessed his shortcuts many times before that, but never had seen it be botched in such a way.

"heheheh... the wall wass in the way ish all." Sans rationalized with a lazy shrug, as though that explained everything. "guess i wass a real _wall_ flowerr…"

She snorted at the pun, which was hilarious to her despite her not being to fully understand the joke in her current state. Papyrus though, clearly had no amusement for the pun and kept on talking as though Sans had said nothing and addressing Toriel instead. Just as Asgore had before.

"AND THEN YOU, MEANING THE BEST I'M SURE… TRIED TO PULL HIM OUT AND BROUGHT A CHUNK OF WALL DOWN WITH HIM." He explained, in a less irritated tone than he had used with his brother.

She was again lost for a moment before she could respond. She had done that? That… wasn't good. Surely she would be quite a deal of trouble for causing some that of damage. Not to mention the idea of her doing that should be greatly embarrassing. But the alcohol in her system seemed to be shielding her from feeling anything negative at that moment. Sans' renewed wheezy chuckling confirmed to her what Papyrus had said was true.

In days long past, hearing such a thing wouldn't have been so surprising. In those ancient days she could consider her youth. A time where drinks could turn her into quite a different sort of monster, a good deal divorced from her usual composed self. Even fairly recently with the now infamous "pizza throwing" incident, that side of her seemed to be making a reappearance. In a odd sort of way… she was a little happy to hear that. Even if she would no doubt be completely mortified by her behavior once she sobered up… and more than likely quite miserable from the hangover.

When she had at times succumbed to her despair and turned to drink while in the Ruins, it so often only resulted in her feeling numb and eventually falling unconscious. And then being in a sick stupor until the stuff was out of her system entirely. But now… it was affecting her in the way it once had during happier times. It was a strange thing to find encouraging, but it made sense to her intoxicated self at that moment at least.

"Oh…" Was all she could say, still trying in vain to pin down the correct emotion she should be feeling.

Asgore was quick to wave his paws dismissively, clearly trying to prevent her from feeling badly about the situation.

"Grillby wasn't upset." He assured her with a weak smile. "Apparently Sans has a history of causing such damage to his establishment on occasion. He said he would um… put it on his tab. Quite nonchalantly in fact. And mentioned something about... Sans insurance."

Sans laughed again at that, enough that it left him in a coughing fit for a bit. Toriel didn't really understand what was so funny, but anything that made Sans laugh invariably made her laugh as well in her current state. She instinctively moved to hug him while she did, the drink's effects allowing her to feel far less self conscious of her actions. Sans sloppily returned the hug as much as he could manage and the humor they both felt met with each other's magic, only causing their giggling to last even longer.

Papyrus let out another sigh as it finally began to taper off. This one was more tired sounding but also more resolved.

"HONESTLY, YOU COULDN'T EVEN LAST UNTIL ACTUAL RINGING IN OF THE NEAR YEAR SANS." He huffed, shaking his head in dramatic disappointment before puffing himself up defiantly. "I AM NEVER ALLOWING YOU TO DRINK EVER AGAIN!"

Sans just let out another lazy, more subdued chuckle at that, and Toriel had a feeling he had heard all this before. But her intoxicated mind didn't dwell on the guilt she could possibly be feeling because of that. She was still focused on what Papyrus had said she had done back at Grillby's, unable to banish the goofy smile off her face.

"Goodness, did I really do something like thaat?" She asked, giggling once more into a paw. "Guess I must of overestimatedd myself againn. What a sillly old goat I am."

That one made Sans snort again, pressing his face against her side and chuckling breathlessly in a drunken little display of affection. Asgore actually joined the skeleton in the joviality this time, laughing his usual deep laugh before looking back at her with an old fondness in his eyes.

"You did once have the tendency to do things like this." He said with a warm smile. "I was honestly reminded very much of old times. Though at least this wasn't any royal gala like back then. If it is any consolation to your sober self, everyone seemed to be having quite the good time with you two. I think you made many of their nights."

Toriel gave him a suspicious look, trying to sort out how she felt about what he was saying. Once it began to more fully click within her mind and she recognized his words for what they were, she waved a paw dismissively in a most uncoordinated manner.

"Oh pleasse Dreemurr, we all know it was yyou who couldn't handle your drinkss." She slurred with a teasing tone before offering a lopsided smile. "But iss good to know it all went well."

Her smile then widened, as she remembered something and the words spilled out of her mouth before she had a chance to think about them.

"And I didn' mention all thiss dumb immortallity stuff even oncce. Good for mee." She said, leaning over to pillow her cheek contently on Sans' skull.

The skeleton in question didn't pick up on what she had said, still far too lost in his own winter fireball induced haze for it to register. Asgore though… he definitely had caught on to it, and she briefly felt his gaze rest on her more intensely. She looked up at him with a questioning and slightly annoyed look and was faintly surprised to see confusion and concern lingering in his eyes. But if he or even Papyrus had planned to potentially question her about it, Sans speaking up from beside her quashed that notion as he gained all of their attention.

"oh shit…" He said, voice tinged with a stressed kind of laughter. "i think myy socks' sstuck in my eye ssocket."

A comment that odd couldn't help but make Toriel and Asgore look at the small skeleton, who indeed had part of his sock hanging out of his right socket. One of the dark blue ones he favored adorned with little stars and rockets ships. Toriel's addled mind didn't even think to question the sight before her and she just found herself laughing yet again.

"SANS, HOW THE HECK DID YOU EVEN-" Papyrus began, before apparently giving up and looking back at the road. "YOU KNOW WHAT, I DON'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW."

The rest of the short ride back to the house was full of laughter, even if it was really only from the two intoxicated monsters in the back seat. Toriel failed to pay any notice to much else, including her ex-husband, who continually cast worried looks her way out of the corner of his eye.

"ARE YOU SURE YOU TWO WILL BE ALRIGHT?" Papyrus asked, shifting his boots nervously in the thick snow outside the door.

Toriel nodded absently, her gaze somewhat distracted by the thick snowflakes falling lazily all around the skeleton and collecting on his scarf and hat. She didn't remember _exactly_ how she was suddenly home and standing in her doorway, but she didn't really feel like it mattered much in that moment.

"yahhh bro, dun even worr' bout it." Sans said with a dismissive wave of his hand, leaning heavily against her to keep from swaying. "were old prosss at this."

Asgore hummed thoughtfully at that, looking over the two of them sadly.

"You are likely going to spend your first day of the New Year quite ill once morning arrives." He reminded them, running his claws lightly through his beard. "It is a shame you are going to miss the big moment."

Toriel somehow resisted the urge to huff in annoyance at him. This was one of the rare situations where he was the one lecturing her. She had hated that when they were married, and she hated it even more now, especially paired with the odd concern she could see in his eyes. But the drink's effects at least kept her from really getting angry, and she instead responded with her usual drunken snark.

"I think we… had pleny' big moments tonight already, did we not?" She said confidently, even though she really couldn't remember most of the moments in question.

Asgore and Papyrus simply offered her a pair of nervous smiles, clearly not sure how to respond to that. Tiring of them standing there and letting the cold in, Toriel decided to summon up what soberness she could in order to convince them they could leave. She took a breath and focused as much as she could on maintaining a more composed expression and keeping herself from slurring her words.

"We will be fine." She said, happy with how even her voice was. "I assure you. Thank you for brinnging us home, but you two should go back and see the fireworkss with the others. We will just relax and get ready for bed early."

She had faltered there a little with the longer words, but she could tell her efforts had managed to impress Papyrus and Asgore. They looked at each other briefly, clearly still unsure if leaving two highly intoxicated monsters alone was a good idea. But once the moment passed, it seemed her little performance had managed to win them over. Thank the stars for her old royal training giving her the skills to give off the impression of confidence and poise even in situations like this.

"Okay, if you are sure." Asgore conceded, nervously wringing his paws a bit. "Make sure you both drink plenty of water though, and feel free to call either of us if you need anything."

Toriel narrowed her eyes at that, feeling another twinge of annoyance but managing to keep it from surfacing too much.

"That is my line, is is not?" She asked, crossing her arms and trying not to sway where she stood. "Do not speak as if I do not know these thingss. Now go on then, you are letting snow in the housse."

She made a sloppy shooing motion with one paw, emphasizing her point. Asgore chuckled a bit, likely amused that she still felt the need to keep up the standards of her home even in this state. Her ex husband's gaze lingered on her another moment longer though, again showing signs of heavy concern he was trying to hide. Concern that didn't seem to be for the fact she had indulged in too potent a drink.

That only further got on her nerves, she had had quite enough of pondering over the odd looks she'd seen from her dear skeleton, she didn't need Asgore doing it too. The monster king did seem to pick up on the fact she could see through his poor attempt at masking his staring though, and quickly banished the expression with a smile that was almost apologetic.

"Very well then, I do hope you both rest well." Asgore said warmly, dipping his head a bit in farewell before beckoning for Papyrus to follow. "Come along Papyrus."

Asgore began his trudge through the snow back to the car, leaving massive pawprints in his wake. Papyrus stood there for a moment more though, hesitating and looking at his brother fretfully. Toriel couldn't blame him, especially after what had happened to Sans when he'd been in this state during far less happier times. She felt a twinge of guilt push through the alcohol fueled fog surrounding her mind and almost said something to him, but Papyrus seemed to catch onto her emotions and answered before she could.

"ALRIGHT..." He conceded, shooting her a small smile before regaining his firm frown while facing his brother. "JUST... YOU BETTER BE IN BED WHEN I GET BACK SANS! OR I'LL BE VERY CROSS WITH YOU!"

Sans, who had been half dozing against her side, grinned and held up an unsteady thumbs up.

"bed's my best friennd bro." He assured his brother with a lazy wink. "no problem at alll. go have fun with the others at the fiireworks."

Papyrus let out a heavy sigh, brushing a bit of snow off his bright red scarf before leaning down and giving his brother a hug. Sans almost tipped over, but managed to return it whilst staying upright. Toriel fared better when Papyrus offered her one as well, and joined her dear skeleton in slovely waving Papyrus goodbye before finally shutting the door.

The effect was immediate, as the chill from outside was banished and the warmth of the heated house settled over both of them. As much as she could be a quite more spirited monster whilst under the influence, it did feel good to be back in her element. The familiar homeliness around her was already starting to pick away at the giddy energy she'd had before, replacing it with a warm sort of sleepiness. She went to hang her hat and scarf on the coat hanger, only missing the hook a few times, before moving instinctively to help Sans out of his extraneous winter garments as well. He spoke up as she did so, looking up at her with eyelights still sparkling with humor.

"wooow." Sans slurred out, purposefully dramatic. "sheesh tori we are… so smasshed, holy crap. that drink should be illegal or somethin'. how the hell didya talk normal to them jus' now?"

Toriel laughed in a haughty manner as she finished hanging his things, making a show of drawing herself up in an inebriated version of her previous royal posture.

"Yearss of practicce, my love." She said confidently, before brushing some lingering snow off her long ears and giggling to herself. " _Earss_ of practice."

Sans wheezed out a chuckle that showed just how tired out he really was. But his weakness for puns continued to win out it seemed.

"geeez t." He said after coughing a few times. "not fair to do that to me when i'm thiss hammered. let's just go like… lay on the couch befor' we end up on the floor or somethin"

She chuckled softly at that, moving a paw to steady him by instinct. She wasn't much help with how unsteady she herself was, but she supposed it was better than nothing.

"Or in the wall?" She teased him, before leaning down to nuzzle his cheekbone.

"Very well then." She all but purred. "But waterr first, dear."

Sans simply offered a soft, happy sound of agreement, her little show of affection seemingly stirring the sleepiness within him. The two of them then turned and carefully made their way towards the kitchen area, ready to begin settling in for what seemed to be a cozy winter's night ahead. But as she sloppily prepared them both tall water bottles to sip from, the fog around her mind began to clear just enough for a reminder of her earlier vow to herself to resurface.

She fought it off stubbornly at first, but it proved resilient. Now that the drink's effects had waned just enough for it to no longer be held back, it wasn't going to be banished again. And just when she was so sure that she'd be able to just have a pleasant, peaceful end to her new year's evening with her dear skeleton, those thoughts she'd been drinking to run from in the first place had to rear their ugly heads.

She held back a groan, not wanting Sans to catch on to her returning unease, fearing it could make that dreaded expression return to his face. But concealing such emotions was difficult when they were amplified by the potent combination of magic and alcohol. Plus, as she watched the water from the sink slowly fill the water bottle, it chipped away at her protective barriers around her thoughts more and more, allowing guilt to begin to seep in along with everything else.

Sans had been right, back then when he had first confronted her. They needed to talk about these things as they came up, not let them fester needlessly. That was a big part of what had led to both of them suffering so much in the past. What had led Sans to steadily crack under the pressure, and further lead Toriel to step in and help save him from that poisonous silence. They should know better by now then to continue to fall into these habits, but even in her intoxicated state, Toriel knew that they were still learning how to best adhere to these vows after getting by for so long by keeping everything to themselves.

 _"Tomorrow…"_ She promised herself determinedly. _"Tomorrow I will talk to him about it. Let us just enjoy the rest of this night… and end the year on a good note."_

The resolution calmed her reemerging nerves a bit and she settled on the idea as she twisted on the caps for the two water bottles. She was about to hand his over to Sans, but paused as she looked down at him. He wasn't looking at her. Instead his eyelights were trained on a photograph pinned to the fridge by a cutesy goat shaped magnet. Even though it was still fairly dark, she recognized which picture he was honed in on.

It was a photo of her and her children that she had had taken shortly after the events of the last spring, when she was told of the truth behind Flowey and Chara's identities and situations. They were all standing under the willow tree outside, and she was hugging them all close. Chara wore a small smile, easy to identify due to their red eyes and slouched posture. Flowey looked quite annoyed, but was allowing the hug regardless. Toriel herself had her eyes closed, just utterly overcome by joy at that moment. It was a picture that was dear to her now for many reasons, but it did not seem to be inspiring the same happiness in Sans as he looked at it.

His eyelights, glowing lightly in the dimly lit kitchen, did not move from the photo one bit. And to her dismay, she saw that expression he'd been wearing more and more as of late begin to reappear on his face. It wasn't as obvious as it had been while he was sober, no doubt still shielded some by the alcohol. Regardless, that look was still so indiscernible… and still displaying Sans to be seemingly so very troubled.

"Sans?" She questioned him by instinct, concern leaking into her voice.

He looked up at her, clearly surprised to hear his name and gave a slight apologetic chuckle before taking the water bottle gratefully.

"heh, all set?" He asked, taking a long drink from the bottle before nodding towards the living room entrance. "let's go then, that big ol' snaill quilt is callin' my name."

He then turned and began to steadily trudge towards the living room, but Toriel remained where she was, just for a beat. She wasn't sure whether to blame it on the alcohol or her uneasy thoughts, but something made her nervous to follow after him. Seeing that flicker of that expression in his eyelights just then… made her fear that even if she vowed to avoid the topic hanging over them until morning, there was no guarantee he would do the same. And if he brought it up… she knew she wouldn't protest, and would invariably get pulled into the conversation she was dreading. Even though she hardly thought a time where they were both quite impaired would be ideal for something so important in any way.

Still, she followed after him, deciding that no matter what happened, she wanted to be by his side tonight.

The snow fell lazily outside and the dwellings of Newer Home glowed in the chilly darkness of the night, as all the world it seemed held its breath for the moment the new year would finally begin.


	4. Impetus

Toriel stepped into the dark living room, following after Sans just ahead of her. There was a comfortable quiet that permeated all around her, as though the falling snow outside muffled any potential encroaching noise. The sight of that only added to the relaxing atmosphere, as it danced just beyond the windows in a lazy, but elegant manner. A truly beautiful winter's night.

But there still that silent tension in the air that kept her from feeling at ease, as she continued to watch Sans with trepidation stirring within her. Though there was a lack of light, she could make out the shape of his small form ambling carefully with one arm out to feel his way to the couch and try and keep himself balanced. He had a slight sway to his walk, but not enough to worry her too badly. And in all honesty, she was hardly in any condition to try and save him from a fall even if he were to stumble. The floor felt like it was tilting back and forth under her own paws. Still, she watched him carefully until he reached the couch and leaned heavily against it for support.

He let out a soft relieved sigh and then looked towards the lamp on the side table. He began to haphazardly reach for its pullcord, but Toriel felt a spark of inspiration and spoke up as he fumbled in his attempt to grab it.

"Hold on dear." She said, reaching the couch as well and offering up a warm, if slightly wobbly smile. "I havve a better idea."

She turned to look at the fireplace across the room, already preloaded with logs in anticipation of a turn of events like this. After taking a long sip from her water bottle and then a deep breath to hopefully steady her unsettled magic, she summoned up a small blaze of pale purple flame in her paw with a flick of her wrist. Its light and colors danced across her face for the brief moment she observed it, watching for any signs of instability. Its energy and movements were a bit fitful due to the alcohol's influence, but she was satisfied she had enough control to accomplish the task at hand.

With another quick movement of her paw, she sent the ball of flame across the room, managing, to her relief, to get it to land squarely in the pile of logs with a brief shower of colorful sparks. Sure it had ended up in the far left side of the fireplace, but it had accomplished its purpose. The magical flames took hold and set the kindling ablaze, steadily filling the room with soft, flickering light and the pleasant crackle of burning wood. She smiled softly in contentment, closing her eyes for a few moments and enjoying the warmth emanating from the fireplace before looking back over to her dear skeleton.

He too was clearly savoring the comforts the fire offered, that wide, wobbly grin of his loose and his eyelights soft. His gaze remained on the flames for a long beat before he blinked and met her eyes again.

"heh, much betterr…" He said with a wink, one that made her soul flutter a bit despite how silly he looked.

But even then, she could still see a hint of heaviness to his gaze that shouldn't be there, one that betrayed the brunt of his thoughts still remained elsewhere. She felt her soul pang a bit, gripped with confliction over what to do, what to say. It certainly didn't help to be intoxicated either, making her reasoning ability clash ungracefully with that of her emotions' demands to just break the tension and talk to him about what she knew he must be ruminating over, alcohol be damned.

While she internally struggled with that, he had already begun gathering up the large snail patterned quilt she had sewn some time ago into his arms in preparation to get settled on the couch. But he didn't move to lay down right away. His gaze drifted to hers again, and his expression became a little sheepish as he seemed to be silently asking something of her. Thankfully, it was something far easier to address than what else she knew was lingering in that skull of his.

She couldn't help but giggle lightly at his wordless request despite her nerves, but nonetheless eased herself down onto the couch and laid on her back across the length of it. She settled her head back against one of the throw pillows and then gave her chest an inviting sort of pat. Even now, indulging in such affectionate behavior made that lovely shade of cyan spread over his face. But his eyelights retained their happy, hazy shimmer and he moved without further hesitation to promptly lay right on top of her.

She helped him up as best she could, scooping him up with one arm and getting him settled in place with his skull tucked comfortably under her chin. He slipped his arms loosely around her neck in turn, lightly curling his phalanges into the fabric of her dress. She gave him a little nuzzle with a soft giggle, and then adjusted the quilt so that they were both snugly covered.

It was another moment where how light he was stood out to her, how easy it was to hold him this way without a bit of strain on her part at all. It wasn't always that they slept like this. But Sans clearly enjoyed it on occasion, and had begun to more openly seek out her affections as the months since they'd made things official between them went by. While he didn't end up on top of her _too_ often, she could always expect to find him snuggled up close to her each morning in one way or another, in some positions more nonsensical than others.

She didn't mind in the slightest regardless of how silly it could be. Truthfully, just having someone so close each night to help ward off her often anxious thoughts and to give her someone to hold on to was more than she ever could have dreamed she'd ever have again while living in the Ruins. Such closeness was steadily becoming the new normal for them both, and they relished in it. She idly ran a paw up and down his backbone once he was fully settled, tracing the familiar shape of it with her paw.

There was a short time they simply relaxed like that, letting all the stirred energy and giddiness from a night of excess level off. The comforting pop and crackle of the fire in the fireplace was the only sound to be heard apart from their soft breathing. Despite the fact this should have been a perfectly soothing environment to be at peace in, neither could ignore the heaviness of unspoken words that still hung over them.

Toriel felt she should say something, anything at all to break the weighted silence. But she'd have to make the choice of offering up further distraction until morning, as was her plan… or giving into what she knew needed to be addressed. Even if neither of them were presently in the best state for such an important discussion. She turned the situation over in her head again and again as the minutes passed, feeling her uncertainty grow by the second. Not helped by the alcohol still clouding each and every thought.

But as she had predicted all those months ago, she was not the one to break the silence on the issue.

"tori…?" Sans voice floated up to her, soft but heavy all the same.

Just from his tone alone, she knew there was no dodging this further. They both knew exactly what was weighing on their thoughts, and he had just been the first to give into their demands to be voiced.

"Yes, sweetheart?" She responded quietly, surprised at the lack of a slur to her voice, and watching as he shifted back a little in order to be able to meet her eyes.

His eyelights were still fuzzy from inebriation, but carried a clarity of emotion that made Toriel's soul pang lightly. Those lights fell with brief indecision, and he ran his phalanges thoughtfully through the fur on her neck as he clearly tried to find the words, sweat beading on his skull.

"are youu… still thinking about haaving a baby?" He asked at last, managing to meet her gaze more confidently this time.

The words were no shock, but they did make her feel briefly lightheaded as all her thoughts and stressing over the subject threatened to come rushing back. She took a steadying breath, letting much of her subdued emotions flow out and be felt from her magic.

"The… possibility certainlly is still on my mind, yess." She affirmed with a weak smile, running her thumb in a small circle where it rested on his back. "Though… I suppose with everrything happening at the school and at home… I just haven't given it much ffurther thought."

The slurring to her voice frustrated her, to have to put forth such important words with a tongue that felt as though it were made of cotton. But at least it was far more coherent than she'd been earlier in the night. He blinked at her response, slow with thought, and then that dreaded expression steadily appeared on his face, eyelights drifting downwards again. Now that the reason behind that look was evident and out in the open, she felt no qualms then about questioning him about it. Even though she knew the answer may very well hurt.

"Sans dear, please be honest with me… are you botherred by the idea?" She asked, trying to keep any potential sadness from her voice. "I will not take offense if that is the case. I understand that thiss mus' be-"

But Sans cut her off, the expression melting away to be replaced with one of reassurance.

"no, no… no it's ffine tori, really." He assured her with a small, wobbly smile. "more than fine even. my feelings from back then haven't changed."

He then looked pensive again, eyelights wavering with thought. But he consciously managed to keep a small smile on his face, though the emotion behind it was questionable. His tone was oddly notably serious when he spoke again, not befitting of his current intoxication, but still effective to her nonetheless.

"if it's something you want to do, then i ssupport you, one hundred perccent." He vowed earnestly, grin widening.

Toriel couldn't help but smile back a little, touched by his words no matter how unsteady they were. But her own anxieties were quick to snuff out any relief his response could bring. She knew him too well, and thus could tell that while yes, he meant what he said, there was more behind it. Something that caused him to become so consumed in thought and made that odd expression.

"It just seems... as though you havve been troubled since we first discusssed it." She said, after a moment's hesitation.

Again, he blinked in response to her words, looking briefly as though he were caught doing something he shouldn't have been. His eyelights darted back and forth briefly as he scrambled to find a worthy reply.

"i-its not…"He began, before seeming to deflate a bit. "it's more that i jus' feel bad that i can't…"

He groaned then, letting his skull fall against her so that his face was hidden.

"ugh… i shouuldn't be doing this while drunk." He said with a heavy sigh.

Toriel frowned in sympathy, giving his back another, hopefully reassuring rub. She could tell he was building up the nerve to speak further, so she stayed silent, hoping to encourage him to continue if he wished. Finally, he sluggishly lifted his skull again. His smile was dulled, and his hazy eyelights almost looked pained.

"it… it feels like _i_ shouuld be able to help you with this if you want it y'know?" He said at last, the waves of magic from his soul growing harsher. "instead of you haaving to... go to all these other lengths for it."

The words couldn't help but catch her off guard a bit, as they were not among what she had assumed were the most likely reasons for his odd reaction to her admission that past summer. She hadn't been expecting this kind of… guilt. Fear maybe, nervousness certainly, for both her sake and his… but guilt? All born out of a sense of obligation and devotion no less. It along with that conviction had her train of thought momentarily falter, and the alcohol made her pause another moment before quickly offering a response.

"Oh Sans… I could never ask you to do that." She assured him, moving her paw to gently cup his cheekbone. "We have only been togetherr a short while after all… and..."

She trailed off as she gazed into the lovely lights of his eyes, and took in the hurt inside them. It made things slowly click in her inebriated mind, as it came to a possible conclusion that made her soul ache. One she hadn't considered back when she'd first brought this up.

"Dear one, did I… hhurt your feelings back then?" She asked, guilt of her own tingeing her voice. "By making it seem I did not consider the posssibility of asking you to be the one to hhelp me with this?"

Sans' eyelights shrank a bit and he blinked as the question hit home. But the lack of an immediate rush to assure her that she was mistaken told her all she needed to know. Guilt wound itself tightly around her soul, but she endured it, needing to hear what more he had to say. Her dear skeleton looked away for a few long moments, confliction evident in his expression. But finally the tightness there appeared to soften up again and he settled on just shaking his head and looking at her with the warmth to his eyelights restored.

"nah... you werre just thinking of what would be besst for my sake, looking out for everyyone else over yourselff. that's just your nature, torri." He said, fondness making the edges of his sockets crinkle. "it was right of you not to uh… assume anything or pressurre me… but..."

He paused again, and his expression fell a bit. The lights of his eyes glowed more dully, catching the dancing light from the fireplace. Toriel maintained her silence, wanting to give him every reason to speak and be honest about this situation. Something the alcohol might actually help with.

"okay… maaybe it did hurt a little..." He admitted, sounding guilty for even letting those words be known. "but i… i get why you wouldn'-"

Despite her intentions, Toriel gently stopped him from continuing, covering his mouth with a paw. It was gesture that was familiar to both of them, and though the act didn't actually have the effect of muffling his words, he fell silent regardless, looking at her over the curve of her fingers.

"Shh, please love, do not finish that sentence if youu plan to say anything negative about yourrself." She implored, slowly taking away her paw and using it to cradle his skull again, stroking it idly with her thumb. "I promise you, I did not pass you up as a possibility for thiss because of any perrceived shortcomings on your part. It was purely a foolish overrsight by me alone, a failure of conssideration in an attempt to shoulder all of this myself without burrdening you."

With all that stated, slurred and unfocused as it likely was, she felt she could direct her hazy mind towards the underlying sentiment behind all of this. One that demanded clarity from her even with her current intoxication, stark enough to be immune to the fog clouding her thoughts. But it was an idea that, while she had considered, had not expected to hear so openly from him.

"Would you… really wish to be the one to father ssuch a child?" She asked quietly, favoring bluntness this time. "Even with the inordinate rresponsibility that would come with it?"

His eyelights wavered at that, and he grew stiff again, his grip on her tightening. She could feel the conflicted emotions flooding off his soul, somehow intense and subdued all at once. He closed his sockets for a moment with a strained sigh before he looked at her again, uneasy grin tight on his face.

"i dunno… maybe?" He replied hesitantly, voice wavering. "i really don't know honesstly. i sshouldn't be considering it i guess. i mean let's face it, i'm not like yyou when it comes to kids. i wouldn't have a clue what i was doing. sure, i took carre of my bro growing up, and i've been trying to be there for frisk more when i can... but that's nnothing compared to being a… a _dad_. and on top of that… you were right in that we've only been together for a llittle while in the grand scheme of things. most would probably ssee this as uh… happening _waay_ too soon. heh"

The chuckle at the end was nervous, and she could tell he was briefly considering clamming up or trying to laugh off this whole thing. The beads of sweat forming on his skull also supported that. But that same odd conviction he'd displayed back at Grillby's during the talk of resolutions for the new year resurfaced again, and he pressed on, even when his nerves were clearly worsening.

"but... evenn then… i just… i'd feel bad y'know? you're such a great mom... but… shouldn't i be helping you with all that as yourr... partner? shouldn't i be doing more to make raising tw-three kids easierr for you? and if you need to hhave another kid in order to age again, isn't the right thing thaat i take responsibility, make that haappen for you, and raise them alongsiide you? i dunno… maybe i'm overthinking it… but it's all jus' so…"

His slurred rambling trailed off again, as he let his skull flop against her with another soft groan. Toriel was momentarily struck silent as well, just staring at him with her paw frozen in place upon his back. All he had said was slowly sinking in, edging out her misgivings about how he viewed his role in all this.

She had been so sure that the right thing to do in this situation would be to take the responsibility on herself, in a way that would burden her loved ones as little as possible. But in those efforts, she had been misguided and hurt the one she loved. She'd hurt him a way that once again represented a falter in her own personal growth, a failure to recognize that he would have every reason to want to be involved with this situation. That realization seemed to force a bit more sobriety in her and her soul hardened with resolve.

Telegraphing her moments to him, she slipped her arms more snugly around him and pressed a little kiss to his skull. When she spoke, her voice was soft and a lot more steady than before.

"Sans, love. Your devotion means more to me than I can put into words, especially rright now." She said, displaying her emotions more openly. "And I am so grateful you have told me all of this. You must know though, that you are not oblligated or expected to do any of that. And I do not want you believing that you have failled me if you do not think you could handle such an incredible responssibility, especially on such sudden notice."

Sans didn't reply right away, but his gaze communicated his understanding. It was still heavy with personal dissatisfaction though, and the silent question of what all of this was to mean now that these words were out in the open. Toriel hummed thoughtfully, trying to piece together where any of this was to go from there. There was no shutting the door on the subject now that it had been opened, especially with the way he was looking at her. But she feared voicing anything definite at all in the moment. After a few moments of just watching the fire's colors dance across the surface of his skull, she settled on a temporary solution.

"But well... seeing as this is still only a hypothhetical situation right now, I suppose we can enterrtain the idea a bit. If you would like that."

He took a moment to process what she was offering, but once he did, his expression gained back some warmth and his smile softened.

"heh, sure, why not?" He said, giving his shoulders a small shrug before running a hand anxiously over his skull."this all still feels like a fireballl dream to me more than anything anyyway."

The statement managed to tease a few giggles out of her, something that clearly made it easier for him to relax too. And after the humor of the idea had settled, Toriel had to admit that there was a genuine probability to what he was suggesting. She or both of them could very well be passed out asleep at that very moment, and this could all be an alcohol induced dream fueled by her mind's ceaseless stressing over the topic at hand.

"I suppose there is no proof that it is not." She reasoned with a light chuckle, before her tone softened with thoughtfulness."But I think, given the progrress you have been making, the little things I see from you everyday, and the way you been getting along with my chilldren as of late... I believe you would do better in the role than you give yourrself credit for. You would need a lot of guidance surely. No one takes to something like that wiithout mishaps and struggles. I can say that confidently from experrience. But I can tell you have been putting a lot of thought iinto this, have you not?"

This time, Sans didn't take as long to ponder his answer. Though the conflicted emotions he was feeling still poured off his soul in unsteady waves, the warmer emotions were winning over the darker, more fearful ones, allowing him the will to hold fast to his original admission.

"yah, i guess i have…" He replied, sounding a touch surprised at himself for that fact. "jus' wouldn't get out of my skull ever since youu mentioned it."

He shut his sockets for a moment, moving one arm to wrap around one of hers as much as he could manage and leaning into her touch. She shifted in turn to accommodate him, feeling the stirred affection spark the air between them. Like the embers flitting off the flames in the fireplace.

"and thanks tori… i dunno if i can believe thaat fully, but i'm glad you uh… have faith in me and all, heh." He said, in a tone far more sober and fully present than before.

They both slipped into wordlessness again after that though, letting the magic of their unsteady souls do the speaking, settling and turning over all they'd just addressed. They listened to the fireplace crackle and forced themselves to down more water to hasten their slow climb up out of the fog of intoxication. With each inch they gained in that regard however, their conversation's true weight became all the more apparent. They both knew the discussion couldn't end where they'd stalled though, not when they'd already passed the point of no return. And after some time. Sans was the one to lead on when he found words again, taking her up on her offer to entertain just how pursuing all of this could really turn out.

"what do you think… a kid we made would look like?" He asked quietly, in a tone that seemed to waver between dreamy and grounded.

The words pulled Toriel from her semi dozing and she hummed thoughtfully, returning to her earlier routine of running her paw over the soft curve of his spine. She understood that at this stage, it was all still just… hypothetical, even with his earnest conviction. But the idea still made her soul happily flutter in her chest. She did her best to remain composed as she answered him though.

"Good question. I do not believe there are any known records of boss monsters marrying or having children outside their own kind once the various royal families were established." She said, finding her speech and mind a little more clear than before. "Not that I was privy to at least. But judging from how most hybrid monsters tend to end up looking, including us boss monsters, I would say it is highly probable such a child would look like a mixture of both of us."

The answer seemed to satisfy Sans, whose own eyelights were shimmering with a sort of enthused interest. One he was trying and mostly failing to also keep from seeming too overt.

"so some kinda... skeleton goat then?" He asked, leaning his cheekbone against her chest with a soft chuckle. "kinda hard to picture, but there are a plethhora of good pun opportunities there."

A warm laugh shook through her at that, pondering over all the options herself. Such a child would certainly grow up surrounded by terrible jokes of all kinds. Whether they'd potentially join in the goofy fun as they grew or end up burnt out on it like Papyrus, she couldn't say for certain.

"Indeed, and they would potentially have many differrent traits they could inherit from either of us." She said, idly running a claw over the soft material of his hoodie in thought. "They could end up with quite the odd assorrtment of abilities as well."

Sans blinked, clearly picturing this imaginary child in more clarity. He let out a laugh that was as nervous as it was intrigued. There was something else that flashed through his expression briefly, something less positive than the general current atmosphere. As if what they were talking about had almost brought about some remembrance or realization from him. But it seemed that it was unable to stick, and was gone before he or she could discern what it was.

"heh yah, maybe they'd be able to breathe fire and take shorrtcuts." He mused, shaking himself from his momentary lapse. "that'd be something alright, probably a handful though, heh."

Toriel nodded, able to see the potential chaos that would bring. Boss monster cubs caused enough mayhem with their fire magic once they began to develop them. Combining that with any number of Sans' traits could lead to a number of moments of panic indeed. Though she found that she couldn't help but feel further drawn in by the concept due to all that as well. The possibilities for how such a child's magic could manifest were practically endless, and all equally intriguing to her.

As she thought it over, Sans floated his water bottle over again with his magic, another potential trait a child of theirs could potentially inherit, and took another long swig of it. He then lifted Toriel's in his magic as well and playfully poked it against her muzzle until she took it from him. She rolled her eyes with a smile and took a few sips as he shot her a wink. While she was drinking, he slipped back into thinking again, the shining in his eyelights seeming to brighten a bit.

"what do you think we would name a kid like that?" He asked, lazily drumming his phalanges against her. "do boss monsters have naming traditions like skeletons do?"

Toriel swallowed her drink of water and set the water bottle back on the table before answering.

"Some do, like Asgore's family before him also tended to name their firstborn as a combinnation of both the parents' names. They tried to make it sound as though it were a grand deciision and tradition, but really most of the populace were aware that it was simply because the royals of that kingdom had little to no naming skills. Something Asgore unfortunately inherrited just the same."

She rolled her eyes yet again and gave an exasperated shake of her head.

"There are times that I somewhat rregret letting him talk me into naming our own son that way, even with as nice as it ended up sounding." She admitted with a soft sigh. "But on my side, no. I do not believe there was any specific trend."

Her eyes drifted back to Sans, and she stroked his cheekbone again with a thumb as they wandered across all the subtle, beloved details of his face.

"I guess if the child took after you enough to have a font to their speech, then we could considerr that as their name too, could we not?" She asked.

Her dear skeleton's fuzzy eyelights sharpened more at that, and he nodded with a wider grin on his face.

"heh, yah. that'd be pretty cool honestly. 'specially since there might not be any other skeletons besides me and my bro left to carry on that trradition. but i think we'd have to see what they looked like before naming them, in any case."

Waves of happiness rolled off his soul in the wake of those words, clear and stimulating. It made it harder to cling to the notion of all of this just being speculation for the sake of it, but she did her best to keep her soul somewhat guarded to the idea. Even as he continued to roll on with his imaginings.

"frisk would probably be pretty happy to have a younger siblling, huh?" He asked, moving a hand up to run idly through the fur on her neck, combing out the areas left lightly matted by her scarf. "they take after you when it comes to doting after all."

That notion paired with his little show of affection made a warmer smile spread across her face, but one that still carried some quiet wistfulness.

"Yes, I think they would like that very much." She agreed, picturing how her three children would react to such news. "Chara would probably take to the idea well enough as well, but we would have to ensure they would not take that opportuniity to make such a child a target of teasing. I do not think they have had much experience being around babies in their lifetime."

Her smile slowly fell then, as her thoughts drifted to her first born and how he would would potentially take the idea of her having another child the same way she had had him.

"As for Asr-...Flowey… I cannot say for sure. But in his current state, I fear he may not be too happy to hear the news. At best, he would be apathetic towaards the whole idea… at worst… he'd feel betrayed and angry. He was… is… the only child I had myself after all. He may end up feeling that I am intending on replacing him. I know he has harborred such thoughts even about my adopting of Frisk."

Sans' hand moved through her fur more deliberately then, clearly trying to comfort her as he pondered what to say. It was the first real roadblock they'd hit with this conversation. But rather than give up on it as part of her would have expected from him, he seemed to hold fast to his devotion towards the subject and pressed on.

"right... he'd probably need some time and a long talk or two. maybe even one from me." He mused, sockets narrowing slightly in thought. "but even if he was resentful… there really isn't a way to prevent that. feeling positive emmotions at all still seems to be a slow process for him."

Toriel hummed thoughtfully, eyelids fluttering a bit as Sans took to petting one of her long ears. It couldn't banish her unease, but it did make talking about this more bearable.

"Yes… as much I wish it were not so…." She murmured sadly. "He had enough dark thoughts directed towardss me about my separation with Asgore. I can only imagine the things he would have to say if he found out what you and I were considering. Unwed no less."

That made Sans' movements stall momentarily, blinking as what she had said sunk in.

"...right." He said softly after moment, a nervous grin spreading across his face. "would that… uh… b-be a requirement for you?"

Toriel didn't reply right away, finding herself surprised by the question. Even as the words had left her, she hadn't really considered that component to all this, hypothetical or not. It made her soul do a few flip flops within her and she swallowed hard as she considered the idea.

"Well… It certainly is the responsible thing I suppose." She conceded, doing her best to speak casually again. "It does ensure a level of stability for the children, and there would be far less scrutinyy from the general public. But… I cannot say that I would be all that eager to go through all that overbearing pomp and circummstance again. After the excess and spectacle of a royal wedding, I feel I have gotten all I could out of such an event. I suspect such a thing would not be too highh on your list of priorities either, would it not?"

Relief softened up Sans' expression and he nodded, though not without some embarrassment visible in his eyelights.

"you got me." He admitted, starting to stroke her ear again. "can't say the idea of a grand, fancy ceremony like that ever appealed to me, even if it does have a nice _ring_ to it, heh."

The pun made her giggle and she lightly batted at his face with a paw, which only made him grin wider of course. He shrugged his shoulders playfully before he continued, sobering up a bit once more as he did so.

"if you wanna just get a pair of those someday and let that be thaat, i'd be up for it." He said with a wink. "but i think we should uh… focus on one potentiial giant lifechanging thing at a time, heh. especially since that one doesn't have any sorta real time limit on it."

A few beads of sweat gathered on his skull, and he set his jaw in indecision before continuing.

"and well… and i mean this in the nicest way possible of course… but i think the current siituation with you and asgore kind of proves marriage won't guarantee things work out perfectly there either."

Toriel smiled weakly at that, an expression that carried a mix of emotions. The logic behind his statement was sound, showing that analytical scientifically minded side of himself again, but that didn't stop the point from hurting deep down. Ancient memories swept through her mind, full of regret and joy all the same. Her thumb subconsciously traveled to where her royal ruby encrusted ring had once been on her finger during her time as queen, the one she'd shattered and scorched in her feelings of heartache and betrayal. She rubbed the spot idly until she could formulate a proper reply.

"You are right, dear." She admitted with a heavy shake of her head. "You would think I of all monsters would know that by now. That kind of secuurity is comforting… but not a guarantee of anything. Perhaps there is still a part of me that is caught up in those old ways of thinking."

Sans' hand moved from her ear to the side of her face then, pulling her in for a soft little peck on the end of her muzzle. The magic he focused into the act tickled her nose, making her wrinkle it in amusement.

"nah, you're just being responsible… like you always are." He assured her, before settling back against her with a sigh of his own.

Toriel watched the purple hues from the fireplace dance across his small form as she waited for him to speak again, feeling the emotions from his soul shift.

"i don't really want to think about us possibly not working out, of course..." He said, pressing his face into her neck fur. "not exactly the most fun idea… but even if that did happen for whatever reason, i wouldn't uh... let that affect my responssibilities with this y'know? we'd figure it out, i'm sure… for the kid's sake."

The words hung briefly between them, even after Toriel softly affirmed his words. His soul was still stirring, buzzing with emotion and he seemed to almost become flustered after a while.

"s-sorry if i'm phraasing any of this weird or whatever." He said, lifting his skull to look at her again with a nervous wobbly grin. "i-i had this kinda planned in my head for a while, but its not exactly coming out as rehearssed. there was definitely something else i meant to bring up too… but it's just not coming to me."

His eyelights darted about as he tried and seemingly failed to grasp whatever else it was he had been wanting to say. When it was clear the attempt was resulting in little more than frustration for him, Toriel nuzzled him gently to pull him out of those thoughts. Perhaps it was time they let this conversation be shelved again for the time being.

"That is understandable, love." She assured him, offering up a somewhat embarrassed smile of her own. "This is a lot to be talking about all at once, especially after all of the... fun we had earlier, haha…"

She cleared her throat, wanting to maintain some level of poise in this discussion. Even as her soul spilled over with mixed emotions that wanting nothing more than to ruin that.

"I… I am so truly touched that you have been thinking about my situation as much as you have… and even... considering... "

The words suddenly caught in her throat, and she found that her vision was blurring as tears began to gather. She used one of her long ears to dab the moisture away, dropping her gaze.

"S-Sorry dear, I suppose words are not my friend either toniight… I am just not sure what to say… "

She continued to look away as she felt him shift, and then slip his phalanges through the fur on her cheek, lifting her head a bit. Though the tears still persisted, she looked at him, feeling as though all of this was becoming far too real too fast. And yet… she had no desire to stop it either.

"toriel…" He said her full name quietly, something that always sent a shiver through her soul. "i can tell this has been weighing on you for some time now."

His eyelights were sharp and full of sympathy, with little trace of the drink's influence visible.

"you're terrified of being stuck immortal like this. and i don't blame you. that's a hell i wouldn't wish on anyone."

He closed his sockets briefly and took a deep breath, the emotions flooding off his soul intensifying. But when he reopened them again, it was his usual soft, lighthearted expression that greeted her, with only the wavering of his eyelights betraying the true weight of the situation.

"so….why don't we just… do it?" He asked, wording it as casually as he could. "free you from this? and take on the rest as it comes? i'd... i'd be willing to do that for you."

Toriel's eyes widened, the dampness there banished by shock alone. She stared at him, waiting for him to laugh it off or drop some punchline… but he didn't. His words… his offer... was sincere. Everything from the lights of his eyes to the emotions flooding off his soul spoke to that fact. This wasn't just speculation for either of them anymore… that much was clear.

Now she was sure that this was all some alcohol induced dream… her mind desperately trying to piece together some ideal solution to her silent suffering that would soon be ripped away once she awoke. And yet… she found herself playing along regardless, unable to let this slip through her fingers. But still, dream or not, she had to be reasonable about this.

"Wh-what?" She gasped out once she found her voice worked again. "S-surely we… we could not… these sort of things should not be done so impulsively…"

Sans' resolve was not shaken by her reaction, nodding to what she said without missing a beat. The fact he could appear so calm about this shocked her, even if the beads of sweat forming on his skull betrayed he wasn't as confident as he was letting on. But still, he didn't waver.

"i agree… totally. but i think it's safe to say these are pretty unique circumstances." He reasoned with a soft, nervous sort of chuckle. "and i wouldn't call it impulsive. we've uh… clearly both been thinking about this for a long time."

He had a point... but that didn't mean there weren't a million other possible issues with the idea. The most pressing of which she stammered out as they flooded through her mind.

"But Sans… y-you know what that would mean... " She said, curling her claws anxiously. "It would not simply be a matter of ending my immortality… this would be creating another life, a life that would rely on you as much as me… for the rest of our own lives. A life we would both would have to fully devote ourselves to... do you… do you really believe you are ready for something like that?"

The question and the weight behind it did make Sans' expression briefly show a hint of doubt. Beads of sweat formed on his skull and his eyelights wavered as he considered her words. She felt badly for the flash of self hatred she saw re-emerge in those lovely little lights, self hatred she had been trying so hard to help him leave behind. And yet here she was, giving him reason to doubt himself yet again. But the words had left her, and she couldn't take them back. Even if she could though, she knew they were necessary. The situation was far too important to hold back such things.

But as was slowly becoming a promising habit with him, he held firm in his conviction and nodded decisively.

"i know tori." He assured her, taking a steadying breath before continuing. "yes, even though i'm probably still a little drunk right now, that part isn't lost on me. i know how serious this would be."

His eyelights dropped away again for a moment, as the warring of his own self doubt and the inordinate responsibility he was set on committing to continued to be visible within them.

"i… i get that this a lot, coming from someone like me." He admitted in a more subdued tone. "and hell, i probably am overestimating myself at least a bit here. but... i would still be willing to do it for your sake. if you'd... _want_ it to be me that is…

Those words hit her like a strike to her soul, realizing in full just how much what she had said back in the summer had affected him. She found herself unable to resist pulling him close and enveloping him in her arms, sitting up a little in the process.

"Oh Sans…" She crooned, squeezing him tight to her for a bit before settling back enough to meet his gaze again. "Of course I would prefer that over other options… if you truly wished it."

Her red eyes were heavy with uncertainty, but the spark of hope was growing within them too. The problems she could forsee continued to rise up within her, but she no longer spoke them with the expectation that they would shut the door on the topic entirely.

"But we have not even been together as a couple for a year yet… does it not feel… too soon?" She asked nervously, still searching for a sign this was all a "fireball dream" as Sans had put it. "Should this not wait until…? until..."

She trailed off as she realized that she didn't have an answer to that last part. Until… when? Sans didn't much more seem confident about finishing that statement either, but he remained reassuring and levelheaded with his words.

"yah, it's true that most would probably see this as too soon. and i'm sure news like this would cause a stir, heh." He said with an uneasy chuckle, before his expression sobered up again. "but i don't… really see it that way myself. after all… maybe we haven't actually been dating all that long in reality, but we've been close for… a real long time, right? a _real_ long time…"

He seemed to deflate a bit with that last statement, and Toriel could feel the weight behind it herself. Choppy memories of timelines once lost to her flickered through her mind, driving home Sans' point all the more. Though their official time together in this timeline could be regarded as hardly more than a moment in the context of her immortal life, all the time they had spent bonding and growing close in all those lost timelines… it certainly made the matter more complicated, but in a good way in this case.

"I suppose you do have a point there…" She acknowledged, feeling her face heat up a bit. "I would be lying to say I… did not feel the same. Though I have lived centuries… it is almost hard to remember my life without you now."

The words were met with warmth from both their souls, and his soft smile was more than enough to communicate that he felt the same. But the anxieties in Toriel's mind still wouldn't be quieted and insisted on being voiced no matter how much her soul wanted her to just give into the hope that this would all somehow work out. Sans was remarkably patient with her though, a trait that had been imbued in him since his creation, and one he continued to exhibit as he worked to leave those days behind. He waited for her to continue, the magic from his soul giving off a silent sort of encouragement.

But the issue that fought its way to the forefront of her mind. It was… well… not easy to ask about. She knew no matter how she worded it, it was going to be potentially awkward for both of them. Especially if any remaining alcohol in her system affected it. But if any of this was to ever truly come to fruition… it would need to be addressed.

"But Sans… do you… well that is to say, I suppose I just assumed that… such things as what this would require… would not appeal to you?" She finally managed to get out, blushing beneath her fur. "I could not stand the idea of making you do something you are not comfortable with for my sake..."

It took Sans a moment to get what she was talking about, like it was passing through his skull in slow motion. But once it did sink in, his eyelights shrank to small pinpricks and his skull flushed that familiar cyan color. Bright enough that it glowed in the low light, casting both their faces in light blue hues. He blinked a few times then cleared his theoretical throat as beads of sweat ran down his skull.

"w-well... you were right that stuff like that isn't uh... exactly my cup of tea." He said, paired with an awkward sort of chuckle. "and maybe i'd be a little more hesitant if that's what it took… but…"

He paused, fiddling with the collar of his hoodie as he tried and failed to get his words straight again.

"but in this case uh… it wouldn't be as... w-well…" He seemed to be shrinking down into his hoodie in front of her, bit by bit. "it wouldn't be the same as how it was with asgore i mean, heh. since uh..."

Now it was Toriel's turn to have to parse what was being said beneath the layers of stuttering and embarrassment. Thankfully the realization came quicker, but it hit hard like a slap to the face. Oh stars, how could she have been so dense? Maybe she wasn't sobering up as much as she felt she was.

"Oh right… right… it would only require the spell…" She said, covering her face with a paw as she blushed all the more. "Forgive me dear, I was not clearly thinking about the… logistics of that, haha…"

The words hung for a few moments, with both of them unsure of how to successfully bounce back from the awkwardness they'd stumbled into. But inevitably, they ended up handling it the way they knew best. The tension that had built up during the conversation escaped them in a burst of raucous laughter, laughter that intensified until they could both hardly breathe. No doubt bolstered by whatever remaining influence lingered from the earlier indulgences. Toriel wouldn't have it any other way, even as her lungs burned by the end of it. It all was hilarious, overwhelming, emotional, touching and everything in between. This last bit had just been enough to set them both over the edge.

They ended up wheezing, coughing messes when they both finally stopped, wiping their eyes and holding tight to one another. The quilt was left in a pile on the floor at their feet, all but forgetten.

"And to think, I do not think either of us have said nearly enough puns throughout all of this." She rasped out merrily as she dabbed at her eyes with one of her long ears again. "Serious as it may be, that is simply _pun_ -acceptable. We should be ashamed, should we not?"

Sans fell into another brief laugh induced coughing fit beside her, wrapping an arm around his middle with a dramatized groan as it tapered off.

"tori, pl-please. spare me. i'm gonna bust a rib at this rate." He wheezed, flashing his usual massive grin.

She winked and poked out her tongue at him cheekily, but showed him the mercy he asked for. They both took some long, much needed drinks of water before settling back together on the couch. They were both winded, and confused emotions still abounded, but neither could banish the smiles off their faces. Even as calm steadily returned to the room, the only sounds once again being those of the fireplace, Toriel found the warmth that had stirred in her soul remained firm. She clung to that feeling, and once she felt she had summoned up the nerve, she took Sans' hand again and led them both back into the earlier conversation.

"So you… really would… want to do this?" She asked, her ruby red eyes searching his face for any sign of new opposition to the idea.

But she found none. There was the expected level of uncertainty to be sure, but it seemed born of nervousness and self doubt, not lack of will. His eyelights burned bright as he once again answered the question with a nod.

"yah… i would tori." He affirmed softly, gripping her paw back tightly. "i probably wouldn't exactly be as eager to be earning the official dad title so soon if it weren't for this situation… but for you… and all it would mean… i would happily do it. because you deserve to be able to live without that fear… and you deserve to have someone there to help you raise the kid. heck, all your kids. you shouldn't have to go through it alone…"

His expression did sober up a little at that, as he moved his other hand to join the other in cradling her large paw. He looked down at her paw pad, rubbing it with his thumbs in thought. Even through the small amount of magic shared through his touch, Toriel could feel his emotions shift, gaining an almost imploring quality as he spoke again.

"no matter how you go about it… whether you have the kid with me or use other methods... i think you might just keep worrying and worrying, putting it off for one reason or another. for my sake, for other's sakes, your obligations, all these ideas that make you think you'd be burdening others. until…"

The grip on her paw tightened a little further, as did the tightness in her chest as she recognized the point he was making. She didn't dare interrupt him though, engrossed in his every word.

"until that window of opportunity you are hoping for… is already past." He finished his hanging statement, voice shaking ever so slightly. "and i don't want that to happen to you. you've spent so long alone already. i don't want to ever have to leave you like that, to grow old and leave you to face eternity alone. and i know the others would agree if they knew you were struggling with this. and gosh tori, i could tell how happy the idea of this was making you while we talked about it. you could hardly stop smiling for a second. i… i want this for you tori. i really do."

He lifted his gaze again as well as one of his hands to lay against her cheek. He run his phalanges through the fur there as though she were some delicate dainty thing, rather than the rather hulking, imposing monster she must appear next to him. The love visible in the lights of his eyes and spilling off his soul stole her breath away even further, and banished the last notions of this still being a discussion of anything theoretical. Her own soul and expression returned the notion, but she remained silent, seeing that he had more to say, and being all too happy to continue to listen.

"you've done so much for me… you listened to what so many would have taken as nothing but delusional ravings and believed it regardless. you took on a burden that could have destroyed you… all for my sake." He said, eyelights wavering as the memories resurfaced. "you reached out to me and were willing to do whatever it took to help me when i needed it most…and... i just… want to be able to do the same for you…"

Those words held the true core of all this, Toriel felt it in her soul. Sans wasn't doing this primarily because he desired to be a father or out of a sense of obligation. Indeed, even with how he'd been improving in regards to facing responsibilities new and old, he wasn't at the point he'd immediately jump on such a life changing idea unprompted. No, at the root of all of this… he just wanted to be able to save her from her own hidden suffering as she had done for him. Whatever that would take.

It was understandable… and touching beyond words. But the bitter voice in her head still wouldn't cease its whispering regarding whether she really deserved such devotion from him or not. Her dilemma surely could not compare to what he had endured, tormented to the point of broken apathy by the Resets. Surely what she had done back then for him was what anyone would have done had they been in the same situation with the same knowledge as to recognize that Sans needed help. It was not remarkable… not enough to warrant him taking such a massive, life altering responsibility so soon for her sake.

No, no. She needed to stop. They both had been hard at work trying to address this shared problem of there's. She had no reason to doubt Sans' choice here. If he felt she was worth all this, and was willing to commit himself so thoroughly to her in order to spare her a potential eternity of further misery, than she should respect that. She trusted him after all, did she not?

There a was a shift then, as if something intangible had been lifted away from the both of them. It was relief but still destabilizing in its suddenness. The joy that came with it though was enough to make her soul swell, as she steadily accepted that the freedom from what she had been agonizing over was right there within her reach, just waiting for her to take it. Sans was looking at her expectantly with more open excitement, and all the determination she had seen from him before finally coming to a head. It was the love paired with it in that gaze though that finally broke her from her indecision. Just like with the sillier things that night, though there were still parts of her wishing to bombard her with further hesitations and doubts, she allowed herself to get swept up along with him, and took the plunge.

"Alright… alright, my love." She finally managed to get the words out, feeling tears prick at her eyes. "If… if y-you truly feel you would want this alongside me… then…"

Her breath briefly caught as her soul stirred, joyful emotion spilling from her like the warmth from an open flame. One tear broke free and spilled into her fur as she regained the stability in her voice to speak.

"Then I would be truly honored to bring a child into this world with you."

Sans blinked once, twice as those words set in, then his eyelights gained a brilliant shimmering heart shape. He breathed out her name before chuckling breathlessly and launching himself into her arms to hug her around the neck. She returned the embrace with a joyful decent into laughter alongside him, squeezing him tight and pressing her face into his hood. The magic of their souls seemed to reach out to one another and envelop them both in a temporary surge of warmth that kept any and all negativities at bay. And for those few short moments, there was only the good that would come of this, the freedom, blessings and new chapters for both of them that lied ahead.

But Toriel was a reasonable monster, even with whatever remained of that winter fireball's influence in her system. She couldn't allow herself to act irresponsibly about this, at least not any further than she potentially already had. No, she knew that there was something more that needed addressing before she and her dear skeleton truly got _too_ carried away by all this.

"But… not tonight, okay?" She said, bringing the situation back down to reality, but maintaining a lilt of laughter in her voice. "You are right about all you said, and I appreciate it more than you will ever know but… these are still not decisions we should be making whilst we are likely still intoxicated and without any planning. And we must think carefully of how we would tell the others."

Even with her more sobering tone, her words didn't put a damper on Sans' mood, who maintained his giddy smile even as his lovestruck eyelights returned to normal. He chuckled softly and nodded his agreement, the waves of stirred up magic from his soul beginning to calm again.

"heh, fair enough." He said with a wink, settling against her more comfortably.

She nuzzled him gratefully for that, allowing the gesture to drift into a kiss as he pulled her in closer. The burning logs in the fireplace shifted before they separated again, and she had to refocus her thoughts before she could voice how she saw all this potentially unfolding.

"I will tell you what though. If you still feel this way around the next school break. Say… in the early springtime when we will have some time off to better address this. Then we can... plan things from there. That will give us both two months or so to think it over with more level heads."

Her expression grew a little more serious and she subconsciously tightened her grip on him.

"Until then though, I want you to _really_ think about this. Even after all you have said, it will not hurt my feelings if you decide to back off from this. There is… no way such a decision would not change our lives forever, after all."

He mirrored her more sober expression, nodding only after the thoughts had clearly had time to knock about in his skull.

"alright t, that sounds good. glad one of us can talk sense like this, heh." He agreed with a chuckle and a warm, true smile that continued to endure. "i promise i'll uh… think more about it. especially the harder parts. but… i gotta say… at this point... i don't think i'm gonna change my mind."

Despite the fact that that last statement should have perhaps frustrated her, she found herself still too consumed by the joy of the moment to do anything but offer a rather watery smile of her own and a small shake of her head. Somehow that was the point she became convinced that all this wasn't a dream.

"Oh, you silly bonehead." She teased in a mixture of exasperation and endearment.

They both laughed, pressing their foreheads together and feeling almost as giddy as they had when they'd first had those ridiculous drinks back at Grillby's. The little moment was punctured suddenly though by a sound of a distant boom outside, followed by many more. Then faint cheers and the sounds of novelty horns, pots and pans, and all other manner of noisemakers shattered the previously peaceful night. When both of them turned to look out the window, fireworks set off near the looming mountain cast the snow covered earth outside in a great menagerie of colors. Those colors also met with the pale purple from the fireplace, giving the inside of the house its own entrancing display.

Both of them knew what it meant, and watched for a while in rapt appreciation for what the beautiful spectacle represented. Toriel reached over and slid her phone out from her purse. And beyond the flurry of texts and UnderNet notifications all carrying the same message and variety of celebratory emojis, she confirmed the time and date at the top of the display.

"Happy new year, my love." She said warmly, pressing another little kiss between his eye sockets. "No matter what the future holds… I hope we can make it a great one."

...

It was not long after the fireworks ended that the two finally gave into their need for sleep. Though their emotions remained elevated and their thoughts continued to spin, neither could deny the pull of exhaustion after a night that had been so full to the brim with excitement and importance. Plus as the last bits of influence of the magical drinks they'd indulged in faded away, there remained little to fuel any further activity. So it was that they slipped into slumber whilst wrapped up in one another, side by side on that now beloved couch that held many memories for them.

But while they slept, the flickers of what they'd discussed remained and were not extinguished while the two were deep in their dreams. Indeed, despite everything, their souls continued to stir within them as though they were awake. As they did, the magic within them began to shift in a new, deliberate manner. Something was starting to occur between the two souls.

It is well known among all monsterkind there are no accidental baby monsters. For a conception spell to work, both participants must fully desire to have a child in that moment, as well as have hope for the future and general good health. But it is less well known that such spells rely on the souls' strength of will and emotion alone to be cast, and can, in rare cases, be performed without conscious effort. Especially in cases where a spell is the only viable method of conception between two very different sorts of monsters.

Magic is a reflection of its wielder's soul. And in this case, though their logical minds had sought to stave off the shared wish of their souls, in sleep and in the wake of their impassioned discussion, there was no successfully quelling it further. No way to contain that desire which burned brightest within them.

So sometime in those first few hours of the new year, both of their souls started to glow brightly within their chests, so much so that the light became outwardly visible. Moreso for Sans who lacked much physical mass to block out the light, but even for Toriel. Neither stirred even then, or as the natural sharing of their magic between their souls began to intensify. Rather than just faint emotions and energy passing between them as usual, there were suddenly two bright sparks of something far more. Sparks that zipped out of both of them in tandem, met, spiraled and combined with a small flash... before steadily taking the shape of a miniscule upside down heart.

It floated in place between their sleeping forms for a moment, shimmering like a speck of stardust fallen to earth. It hung there, almost contemplative, tiny and fragile as could be. Then without warning, the newly formed soul zipped with incredible speed towards Toriel, disappearing into her soundlessly. Her paws twitched a bit in her sleep, but beyond that, she showed no signs of awareness of what had happened at all.

Just as quickly as it had started, it was over, and the light from their souls began to dim back to their usual lusters again. Neither knew of what had just happened, though both fell deeper into sleep in the wake of the spell. The process had drained a great deal of magic from both of them, in just a way that they could easily mistake for the symptoms of a typical hangover once they awoke in the morning. For the moment though, they just continued to sleep, warm, content and with hope for the future burning within them.

On that first day of the new year, a new soul had been brought into the world to eventually join the rest of the next generation of monsters born free. And with that soul's conception, the great invisible chains of immortality that had been keeping Toriel captive for over a century were finally, silently, broken. There was no fanfare, no sudden rush of euphoria, not even abrupt age related pains her immortal state had been holding back.

One moment, she had been an ageless being cursed to an eternal life due to horrific past tragedy. The next, she was as mortal as any other. As her soul naturally provided the tiny, new soul with its first nourishing pulse of her magic. It replied in turn with a feeble pulse of its own, but it would be some time yet before those would be at all detectable.

Even though she remained oblivious to her sudden liberation and simultaneous blessing, Toriel found the dreams that were conjured up in her deep sleep that night were pleasant and peaceful. They were mostly intangible though, vague images, sounds and emotions that blurred and failed to form a definite scene. But there was a newfound warm presence there that she didn't recognize.

Sans' presence was clear and easy to pick out, close to her and still brimming with love after all they'd discussed. This other presence was faint, new, yet still familiar somehow... And though she didn't recognize the new presence, she felt a great instinctual love towards them. Almost as though they were an old friend she had somehow forgotten until the moment they'd met again.

Or rather… some dear someone that she had yet to meet.


	5. Unforeseen

Toriel felt sick.

That was not normal. She was generally a very strong and healthy monster. It was hard for someone with such powerful magic flowing through them to be brought down by mere illness. Even in the Ruins where she had been languishing away in her misery, she very rarely if ever fell ill. At least… due to an actual virus or bug that is. In other ways, one could say she was nothing but sick during her time in exile.

But that was then, this was now. And even though she hadn't much experience with it, she knew that what she was feeling must be something beyond her control. She had to have caught something from one of her students or co-workers. Because stars above, did she feel awful.

She had arrived that morning fighting it off, trying to will it away by sheer resolve alone, but there was no defeating it it seemed. At least Frisk and Flowey had decided to linger outside to talk with Asgore and Papyrus, it would have been all the more shameful to let her children see her in such a miserable state. Or rather… let them see her like that again. After what happened the previous year, she didn't want them to ever have to worry about her wellbeing again. So she had strived to recover well and maintain her health for that end, and also for what could be happening once the spring break arrived.

But all her efforts had seemingly had failed her recently. She had barely set down her things in the classroom before the violent churning of the magic in her soul and the dizziness in her head sent her staggering to the bathrooms across the hallway. Monsters had no need for toilets, thankfully, but having them in the school to cater to its human students turned out to be rather convenient for this situation. They were more ideal a receptacle for losing one's lunch (or breakfast) than a sink or garbage can at least.

Once her soul decided it was satisfied enough in ruining her morning, she flushed it all away and leaned against the stall door for a few moments, letting the wave of dizziness and disgust pass. This was the fourth day in a row that this had happened… each morning she woke up feeling ill and nauseated to no end. She'd managed to get through the last few days well enough as that particular symptom seemed to fade into more manageable headaches and fatigue before too long. Though even when they did she still just felt… off. Each time it dissipated though she'd thought she was in the clear, finally over whatever persistent illness she had managed to catch, but each morning she was proven to be wrong.

If she didn't know for a fact she hadn't touched any alcohol since New Years, she would have thought she was hungover or something. It certainly seemed similar to how she'd felt that terrible morning of January 1st, if not quite as extreme. And even then, she hadn't been nearly as bad off as Sans had been that day... As things stood with her current situation, there was no way that was what was going on here. She just didn't understand it.

She let out a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a sigh as she trudged out of the stall and over to the sinks. A feeling of defeat washed over her as she rinsed out her mouth and tried to make herself look less haggard. In the wake of being sick like that, there was of course the urge to just fess up to the others that she was unwell and go home. But the school was too dear to her, and her duties here too important.

Despite her suspicions on where she could have contracted whatever was ailing her, it didn't seem she was contagious to anyone. After all, if she was, Sans would have certainly have caught it by now, along with the rest of the household. She was no danger to her students, she was sure of it at this point, so she resolved to power through. There were only two days left in the week after all. If she was still having this happen when the weekend arrived, she'd force herself to go see a doctor then. But for now, she needed to steel herself as she had the previous few days and just get through it. The worst of it was at least over for today, hopefully.

Settling on that, she finished cleaning herself up and went to leave the restroom. Halfway out the door though, she found herself almost colliding with a much smaller monster who was coming around the corner. She saw a flash of yellow before she just managed to stagger back out of the way. If this damned sickness hadn't made her so spacey, she wouldn't have made for such an awkward display.

"Oh, Alphys!" She said with a weak, nervous sort of laugh. "S-Sorry, I did not see you there."

The lizard monster returned her laugh, straightening up her glasses that had gone askew.

"I-It's no problem!" She assured her, waving her hands. "I wasn't p-paying attention either. I'm pretty o-out of it after staying up so late a-arguing with some troll on th-the Undernet trying to say M-Mew Mew 2 was better th-than the original."

Alphys narrowed her eyes and hardened her expression into a scowl.

"N-Needless to say… I-It was a long night."

The statement hung for a moment, as Toriel just stared at her, blinking in confusion but maintaining a weak smile. She still didn't really understand the lizard monster's beloved anny-mays, but saw no reason to criticize her interests. She could see a number of reasons to possibly criticize Alphys' poor sleeping habits though. But before she could think up a polite way to advise her friend, it seemed her current poor state became apparent to Alphys, whose expression shifted to worry as she looked her up and down.

"U-Um… are you okay T-Toriel?" She asked, regaining her usual somewhat timid demeanor. "Y-you don't look so good…"

Toriel caught the lizard monster's eyes darting to the bathroom behind her, then back to Toriel. It was clear Alphys was connecting the dots as to what had happened. There were a scant few reasons a monster would go into a bathroom outfitted for humans after all. Toriel internally winced, considering dodging the topic as she had whenever anyone had questioned her wellbeing during the past few days.

Everyone had more than enough reason to fret over her health after what had happened to her the previous spring, after all. She'd only been honest with Sans when he'd noticed her acting particularly unwell that first morning this strange illness emerged as she got ready for school, but she hadn't let him talk her out of attending to her duties. She wasn't wholly unconvinced he wasn't watching her from somewhere right this moment, fully aware that she was feeling of the effects of this worse than ever, and eager to pop in at any second to insistently usher her home.

But as the moment passed, that didn't happen. And a mixture of fatigue and the lizard monster's knowing look evaporated her resolve. She let out a weary sigh, seeming to deflate as she did so, and no longer hiding how drained she felt.

"I… am afraid not." She admitted, looking away with some embarrassment. "I have not been feeling right for a few days now."

Concern rose up in Alphys' soft amber eyes, and she took a step closer.

"D-does it… does it f-feel anything like what h-happened before?" She asked, beginning to sweat a bit.

Toriel quickly shook her head, not wanting Alphys to have any inclination that this was some sign of that terrible incident threatening to make an appearance for a second time.

"No, do not worry. It is nothing like that." She insisted, though the statement offered her little comfort. "I am sure I have just caught some particularly persistent bug."

Alphys relaxed at that, but not fully, still looking over Toriel critically. She tapped her claws together in thought for a few moments before speaking up again.

"Hmm... w-want me to give you a quick ch-check up in my office?" She asked. "I'm not ex-exactly a medical doctor, but I sh-should be able to rule out a few th-things, and maybe give you s-something to settle your s-soul down."

Toriel, again, felt an urge to wave away the offer, to prevent this from becoming a big deal. But she had avoided dealing with this hoping it would go away on its own for long enough, just as she had when she had started getting those horrid headaches back in the spring. She couldn't allow herself to fall into that habit again. She should just get whatever this was taken care of before it potentially got any worse.

"Alright…" She conceded with a weak smile. "Thank you Alphys, I would appreciate that."

The lizard monster smiled and gestured with her tail for Toriel to follow. She did, somewhat begrudgingly, suddenly all the more aware of her lingering symptoms and trying not to think of worse case scenarios for whatever could be ailing her.

"No problem." Alphys replied as they rounded the corner together. "Just promise me you'll go home and rest. Me and Sans can sub for you no problem. I still have the copy of the lesson plans you sent me. And we can take Frisk and Flowey home after school. Though… Sans may insist on going back with you right away to look after you."

Toriel resisted the urge to sigh. She should have known there would be a caveat, even if it was one she knew deep down was reasonable. Part of her had been hoping Alphys could look her over, confirm it was nothing serious, give her some meds, and she'd be well and good to teach her class on time. But alas, she knew even if she _was_ dealing with something minor, she should still go and sleep it off rather than keep trying to power through it. Clearly that was not working. And she knew another monster who would agree.

"I am sure he will." She answered back, picturing Sans' potential reactions in her mind before letting out a sigh. "Very well then, I will head home once you have a look at me, and focus on getting over whatever this is. Thank you again… for agreeing to look after things "

Alphys brightened up at that, clasping her hands together.

"Of c-course!" She assured Toriel with her work in progress confident smile. "It's not a pr-problem. I h-have actually liked lecturing lately. It h-helps that you have such gr-great students."

Now that was a sentiment Toriel could get behind, and she felt herself brighten up a little. Any talk about the wonderful young humans and monsters she taught would always stir some warmth in her soul, even whilst it was unsettled as it was.

"Yes, I am truly grateful for that." She said proudly, before the warm feelings in her soul suddenly began to spill over more and more.

It was like someone had torn away her ability to regulate her emotions, for suddenly she felt near tears with pride and fondness for all the children she had the honor of teaching. It was so sudden, like someone had flicked a switch. Sudden enough that the instinctual words that rose up with the spike of emotion came tumbling out as well.

"They are all such wonderful children, so bright, kind, and full of hope. I am truly… so blessed to be their teacher." She exalted, sounding far too dramatic and enthused for what was just previously quite a casual conversation.

Alphys gave her a confused look, as Toriel stared misty eyed at a board of art from her students that decorated the wall. It took Toriel a moment to realize the oddness of what she had just said and cleared her throat in an attempt to reign in her oddly sporadic emotions.

"U-um… sorry. Guess I am feeling sentimental" She said, with a sort of awkward laugh, avoiding Alphys' gaze with embarrassment.

The lizard monster returned her explanation with a genuine, if still somewhat puzzled smile and left it at that, but Toriel continued to internally pick over what had just happened.

Stars, where had that come from? Now that she thought about it… she had been a little out of sorts with her emotions lately. It just hadn't registered a recurring issue until that moment. She had been so angry a few days back for the ridiculous reason of not being able to find a matching pair of socks, and then just yesterday she had been practically reduced to tears over a silly commercial about a dog and horse being friends. Along with many other small moments she hadn't really thought about. For someone who still strived to remain poised and level headed whenever she could, it all came off as so unlike herself.

Just what was going on with her? Was this linked to her odd illness somehow? _Did_ this somehow connect with what had happened to her the previous spring? She would just have to hope Alphys would have the answers for her by the time she finished looking her over. As luck would have it, whilst she was lost in her thoughts, they had arrived at the school's humble nurse's office. It took almost running into Alphys again to snap her out of her mind's wanderings. Thankfully, the lizard monster didn't seem to notice this time, but that didn't stop Toriel from feeling even more embarrassed and fed up with whatever was ailing her.

She was happy to step into the room after Alphys and get settled on the examination bed. It was meant for far, far smaller monsters than Toriel, so she found her horns nearly touched the ceiling once she sat upon it, and her feet didn't hang but instead touched the ground. The bed also creaked and groaned a bit, but thankfully seemed to be capable of supporting her weight. She sat there patiently with her paws folded in her lap, trying to settle her magic and her thoughts as she waited for Alphys to gather what she needed. As she did, Toriel's eyes wandered about the room, taking in all its features.

It was a rather small room with the expected amenities one would expect of a nurse's office, along with pleasantly simple posters about health and medicine, as well as some that were meant to make the room feel comfortable and inviting to the young students. It definitely made Toriel feel a bit out of place, not to mention oversized in the small space, but Alphys had done well in making decisions for its layout. Toriel could have personally done without the abundance of anime eyed characters being utilized in the posters though.

Alphys stepped over to her then, carrying a basket of supplies. She set it down and then picked up a single use magical thermometer. As she began to unwrap its protective covering, she cleared her throat to speak again.

"Alright, l-let's just start with the basics." She said, carefully pulling the thermometer out and giving its top a few taps. "While I g-get this set up, tell me how l-long you've been feeling like this, and what other symptoms you're h-having."

Toriel nodded, casting her still somewhat hazy thoughts back to when whatever sickness this was had first reared its ugly head.

"I started feeling ill on Monday at the start of the week, I woke up terribly nauseated and was sick before dawn." She explained, wincing a bit at the memory and twinge of renewed nausea it brought with it. "But a while after it had passed, approaching the time I had to go in for work, I felt stable enough to attend to my duties. So I went to work despite Sans' protests…"

Alphys nodded thoughtfully with an affirmative sound, reflecting on what Toriel had said for a few moments before holding out the thermometer towards Toriel's mouth. Toriel hesitated initially, just by instinct and a remaining general unfamiliarity of modern medical practices. But after a moment, she relented and allowed Alphys to place the long stem of the instrument into Toriel's mouth. She held it there for a minute or so, pausing in her story as they waited for it to discern if she had a fever associated with this or not.

Alphys in the meantime had taken to rapidly tapping out something on her phone, likely notes regarding Toriel's condition if she had to guess. In the time Toriel had gotten to know the lizard monster, she'd begun to recognize there was a big difference in visible expression and tone depending on what she was looking at on her phone. The focused look and narrowed eyes highlighted that Alphys definitely was pondering something, and taking it quite seriously. Toriel wasn't sure if that should make her feel nervous or assured.

Once Alphys indicated she could take the thermometer out, she did so, happy to be rid of the thing. Alphys took it from her and had a look at its display. While she did that, Toriel continued on with her explanation, feeling the fatigue cause her shoulders to sag a bit.

"It happened in a similar manner the next few days." She said, picking up from where she'd left off. "Though the level of nausea and when it actually resulted in me being sick differed between them. Today was… probably the worst its been. It has not yet faded entirely."

She paused a moment, trying to think of any other relevant observations to touch on. This illness was far more an annoyance than anything else. Though some of the irony of the symptoms was not lost on her. The nausea, the headaches, the unshakable tiredness. Perhaps the universe was testing her in a way, giving her a taste of what would no doubt happen if she got her wish. Well, if this was truly the universe's attempt to shake her resolve, it would have to try much harder than that.

Neither she or Sans had backed down from their agreement that night. Even long after they'd both gotten over their oddly severe hangovers and had time to consider what they'd discussed with clear heads, neither had wavered in their choice. Whenever she asked, or the topic came up, he made it clear he was still set on taking this on with her. Even if he did clearly feel more embarrassed about how brazen he'd been the night they'd made that agreement.

And beyond that… she could tell that he was still thinking hard about it, picking over things that may have not been able to penetrate the giddy haze they'd both been in back then. She too had been struck with those sort of small but notable hangups as well, and had even voiced some to Sans. But he always seemed to have an answer for it, some way to convince her everything would be alright. She was very so grateful for his ability to assuage the spirals of worry her mind sometimes worked itself into, especially now.

Though the expression of thought she'd seen from him before did remain in part, it no longer was as troubled. But there was still something about it that made her feel he was heeding his word on thinking over the "hard parts" of what could come to pass in the near future. Whatever potential misgivings came to them both, they had held firm in their plan so far and weathered the hardest questions. It seemed they were going to stay set in their decision.

Overall, her mind was beginning to accept the idea that her having another child was not something that might happen, but something that _would_. Her reasonable side told her to not get too invested in the idea, that there was always still a chance it may not work out, but her soul was too full of joy for her to ignore it.

Or it had been, before this odd sickness had distracted her from it. That realization made her all the more eager to get this sorted out, so she could get back to her teaching duties… and her dreams of the future.

She cleared her throat when she realized she had been spacing out again, looking at Alphys a little sheepishly. Not wanting to invite any more worrying on the lizard monster's part, she continued where'd she left off with her explanation.

"Apart from that, well there have not been many other symptoms." She said, lightly scratching her cheek in thought. "A few headaches here and there and just… general fatigue I suppose. I feel so drained and tired, even after getting a decent night's sleep. It is more than a little frustrating… this sickness is nothing too terrible, but just bad enough I will have to miss teaching in order to recover from it."

She said the last part through a heavy sigh, again finding herself more distraught by that fact than she reasonably should be. She logically knew she'd get over this with a short period of rest, so why did it make her feel so unreasonably emotional? It took focusing back on Alphys to keep from letting her emotions get any further away from her, waiting for the lizard monster's verdict.

"W-Well… you don't have a fever… " Alphys finally said, setting down the thermometer and instead moving closer to lay some sort of flat scanner device against her chest.

She let it run for a few moments and Toriel allowed it, even as it felt cold against her fur. It was hooked up to a display box in Alphys' hand, which the former royal scientist monitored closely. She moved the device a few times over different areas of Toriel's chest, right above where her soul lied beneath.

"Your soul does seem oddly depleted and unsettled though…" Alphys said, still staring at the little screen with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

She left the device lingering against Toriel's chest for a few moments more before pulling it away and scribbling something down on her notepad. She rolled the pen idly against her scaly fingers then, looking to Toriel as though she had some sort of suspicion over what was going on, but was refusing it to herself for some reason. That battle of conflicting thoughts was visible in the lizard monster's bright amber eyes and Toriel felt herself start to worry all over again.

Alphys at least managed a smile when she met Toriel's gaze once more, though the expression seemed a little forced.

"What h-have you been eating the past few days?" She asked, tapping her claws together nervously. "A-Anything out of the norm for you?"

Toriel hummed thoughtfully, trying to think back in detail. She had already pondered this being the culprit of her illness previously and found no clear link, but perhaps Alphys would know something she didn't.

"No… I do not think so." She replied after a moment with a shake of her head. "Today I just had a simple plate of toast and fruit… and the past week it has been more of what me and my family have always eaten… nothing odd, and no one else has shown any signs of feeling unwell."

Alphys' smile became more strained at that, and she began to look a little sweaty. Her nervous claw tapping increased for a moment as she appeared to be hesitating in putting forth her next question.

"A-and you said… it is o-only in the _m-mornings_ you feel sick like this… r-right?" She asked, somewhat meekly.

Toriel nodded, a little confused by her emphasis on that fact.

"Yes, that part of it usually goes away after I have been up a few hours."

Alphys gulped and looked back down at her notepad, clearly slipping back into deep thought, tinged with clear anxiety.

"Uh… huh…" The lizard monster replied distantly.

When Alphys went quiet then for a bit, picking up her notes again and looking over them with more and more clear unease, Toriel's impatience and worry finally pushed her to say something to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Alphys?" She asked with a small tilt of her head. "Is something wrong, my friend?"

The words must have snapped the lizard monster back to the situation at hand, for she jumped a bit and rapidly fell into rather frantic stuttering.

"What?! U-uh no no… n-nothing! I was just uh... th-thinking…" She stammered out, waving her wands dismissively.

She cleared her throat and attempted to reign in her overreaction, though the signs of nervousness were still clear on her face. Alphys had been improving a lot in that regard since arriving on the surface, so to see her reduced to such a state again only made Toriel even more worried. Clearly Alphys had a hunch about something, but she wasn't saying it, almost as though she was trying to lead Toriel in figuring it out for herself.

"D-does what you are feeling… f-feel u-uh… familiar, at all?" Alphys asked then, furthering Toriel's suspicions. "Like s-something y-you've gone through before?"

Toriel couldn't help but narrow her eyes a bit at the question, finding it particularly oddly worded. But she figured she'd just play along until Alphys' peculiar behavior started making sense. Perhaps there was a method to the madness here she wasn't seeing.

"I do not get sick often. Especially in such an odd way… So I am not sure if I could say for sure." She explained, trying to remember if she had experienced such symptoms in the past, beyond the obvious time at least. "Perhaps I have caught something like this long, long ago. It is certainly a possibility. Though not even my memory from that time is wholly reliable."

Alphys swallowed hard again, clearly not hearing what she wanted to hear. She stood there fidgeting anxiously for a bit longer before it appeared she made some sort of decision.

"R-right…" She replied to Toriel's words late, as she made her way over to the nursing office's storage closet. "Be right b-back."

Sounds of the lizard monster rummaging through the stock in the closet could be heard then, and Toriel stared at the door Alphys had vanished through, still rather baffled by the whole situation. Thankfully her nervous friend returned before long, carrying some strange object in her hand. Alphys held it up towards Toriel, having to strain and stand on her tiptoes to get it near her face.

"H-here… um… put this in your m-mouth really quick." Alphys instructed, with a small, nervous laugh.

Toriel blinked warily at the contraption, noting its appearance. It was somewhat like a thermometer, though more high tech looking with a small screen on the thicker end and a long silver piece topped with she could only assume was a rounded scanner. Given that she was still rather unfamiliar with modern technology though, she could only guess.

"What is it?" She asked uncertainly, gently taking it from Alphys if only to stop her friend from struggling to hold it up.

Alphys gave her a quick thankful smile and settled back down, but her nervousness had not waned at all.

"J-just a… a test, it'll a-absorb a b-bit of your m-magic." She replied, not really answering her question. "I j-just want to r-rule out s-something…"

The reply did little to make Toriel feel more willing to do as Alphys asked, the vaugeity at play really started to become bothersome. But she trusted her friend's judgement in this case, so she begrudgingly complied.

"Very well then…" She conceded before carefully putting the scanner end piece of the strange little device into her mouth.

Like the thermometer, it took some time for it to complete its mysterious test. Toriel felt a tingling on her tongue as some magic was indeed absorbed from her, but beyond that couldn't feel anything that would give away what was being tested for. Alphys paced back and forth while they both waited, tail curling and uncurling nervously about her feet.

Finally, the little screen on the device indicated it was complete, along with another beeping noise. Toriel took it out and handed it back to Alphys, praying to the stars she didn't have to put up with anything like that again. Such things always felt so unnatural and uncomfortable to her. Alphys seemed rather eager to get it back, as though she didn't want Toriel to see what it said. She turned it around in a way that Toriel couldn't see the screen and read over the results.

The lizard monster's eyes widened immediately at what she saw, like two round dinner plates behind her glasses. She went rigid, he mouth fell open a bit, and the scales around her face rapidly seemed to become sallow. The implications of it all sent a chill down Toriel's spine.

"Is… everything alright?" She asked, worry flaring up in her chest. "You look pale…"

But the lizard monster didn't answer her. Instead she turned and rushed over to one of the drawers connected to the counter. She hurriedly scrambled to locate something within them, tossing a few things out of the way in the process until she pulled out another odd looking device. This one appeared to a handheld scanner with a large display screen. Toriel vaguely recognized it as the device she'd used to keep tabs on Flowey's strange state of being, and see the evidence of Chara's spirit's connection to Frisk's soul.

Alphys hurried back over to stand in front of Toriel and powered it on, holding it up in a way Toriel couldn't see the lizard monster's face. She could however see the light from the screen across her scales, highlighting that they had gone even more pale. Whatever Alphys had been seeking to further confirm with this other device of hers must have checked out. And based on her reaction… it was nothing good.

"... Alphys?" Toriel said her friend's name again in a fearful whisper, her mind whirling through a million terrible possibilities for what had made the lizard monster look so terribly shocked.

This time Alphys did not startle, but hesitated to put the device down. When she did, Toriel was surprised to see her paleness had rapidly been replaced with something of an embarrassed blush. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights, sweating profusely as she struggled with what to say or do.

"Uh… u-uh… ONE SEC!" She exclaimed, dropping the device in the basket in a flash and rushing out the door of the nurse's office and into the hallway.

Toriel stared after her, dumbfounded and truly unsettled. And in her present condition, even a bit sick again. What on earth was going on here? She rose up from the bed slowly, wringing her paws a bit in indecision. Part of her wanted to storm out there and demand to know what was happening. But another part was fearful that the answer she'd hear would be something truly awful. It was then though that her keen ears picked up the sound of Alphys and Undyne speaking in the hallway.

The lizard monster was talking in a frantic, hushed manner, with Undyne reacting with what sounded like confusion and even amusement. She couldn't make out any of the exact words, but it only deepened the utter bewilderment she felt at all of this. Before she could make any decision about leaving the room to demand to know the truth, the door suddenly opened again. Undyne was the one to step into the room then, looking as though she wasn't sure what emotion to allow to show on her face. Alphys trailed in behind her, still looking stressed and embarrassed and refusing to look Toriel in the eye.

"Hey there Toriel." Undyne greeted her, with a bit of an awkward laugh. "Sooo…"

She paused, bringing her webbed hands together and seemingly unable to keep herself from grinning a bit in restrained amusement.

"Al wants to know if you and Sans have well… y'know…" The fish monster waggled her brows a bit. "taken things to the next level any time recently."

 _"UNDYNE!"_ Alphys all but shrieked, covering her face with her hands as it flushed a deep orange.

"For uh… medical reasons." Undyne finished quickly.

It took Toriel a beat to realized what was being asked of her, but when it sank in she took a step back as her own face heated up under her fur. It was fair to say that she hadn't been expecting to be asked _that_. As if this whole situation couldn't get more outlandish and bizarre.

"Well I never!" She exclaimed, rather affronted. "Such an uncouth thing to ask… in a children's school no less! That is simply unaccet-"

The words died in her mouth, swallowed up by the abrupt connecting of dots. Her mind whirled, rapidly pouring over all that had just happened in a new context. Everything was suddenly pointing to a potential conclusion that her foggy mind had failed to connect the clues to until that moment. One that should be impossible, _had_ to be impossible. But… as the events of the previous year had proven, her life had a tendency to make impossible things a reality.

Her soul skipped a pulse as she looked back at Alphys with wide eyes.

"Wait… _why?_ " She asked, hardly daring to breathe.

Alphys gulped, looking like she would very much like to sink into the ground away from this situation. The significant height difference between Toriel and the lizard monster certainly wasn't helping in that regard.

"That t-test…" Alphys finally managed to stammer out. "It w-was… a…"

Before she could finish Undyne also seemed to be hit with the implication like a punch to the face. She gasped, facial fins flaring out.

"Oh no way… no fricking way." The fish monster sputtered, a nervous, shaky smile spreading across her face. "I thought that might be where you were going with this Al but _holy shit!_ "

Undyne looked at Toriel with her one yellow eye wide and expectant. Alphys followed suit, clearly expecting and hoping Toriel would be able to figure out what was meant to be said for herself. And she did.

It all fell into place so quickly that her mind could hardly keep up. The symptoms of this apparent "illness" she'd be suffering, her oddly turbulent emotional state. The persistent exhaustion and feeling of being drained. It all pointed to that one thing she'd been wishing for most of all. The thing she and Sans had been planning. The thing that would free her from the curse that had haunted her since her children were killed that horrific day over a century ago. The thing that… surely couldn't already be happening...

"Alphys…" She spoke the lizard monster's name rather breathlessly, slowly moving her paw to her stomach by instinct. "Do you mean to say that I… I am _pregnant?_ "

The tension in the air after those words left her mouth was wholly palpable, as though she had managed to stop time by speaking them. All eyes were on Alphys, who looked about as cornered and nervous as could be. But eventually, very slowly, she nodded.

"I… I s-saw it on my sc-scanner too…" Alphys stammered out meekly, curling her tail around her feet. "Y-you… you are d-definitely... carrying a s-soul…"

Toriel's breath caught in her throat once more. She wasn't sure whether to blame it on her illne-... condition… the shock of the moment, or a potent mix of the two, but it felt as though her mind was adrift, detached from the reality of the situation. She couldn't think, she couldn't speak, her soul couldn't grasp what surge of emotion to focus on. After a few moments it all left her rather lightheaded and she staggered back a step to sit back on the bed with more force than intended. Somehow amidst all the disbelief and confusion leaving her mind in a stupor, her fragmented thoughts came together enough to finally spill out in the form of words.

"B-But… but… _how?_ " She gasped, looking at Alphys for any sign this had all been some terribly cruel prank on her behalf. "Wh-when c-could this have…?"

Her mind raced but she found no clear answer, a terribly distressing notion in this situation. Thankfully Alphys did seem be have enough of her own wits about her to offer an answer. She stepped a little closer while Undyne stayed where she was, still just looking at Toriel in bewilderment.

"W-Well…if you are just st-starting to get morning s-sickness and s-such…" Alphys began, still looking uneasy and embarrassed but seemingly gaining a touch more confidence in explaining now that the bombshell had been dropped. "And estimating b-by yours and… _his_ … sp-species… You've pr-probably been carrying the s-soul for about four w-weeks now."

Toriel just stared back at her, jaw eventually trying to work and form words but failing each time. She already was subconsciously doing the math, desperate to make the current situation make any amount of sense. By the time the full realization of Alphys' estimate hit her, Undyne had beat her to it, breaking the silence with a loud gasp.

"Oh my stars, that's _NEW YEARS_!" The fish monster said, the humor of the implications clearly not lost on her. "Fuhuhuhu! OH GEEZ! I knew you two were hammered that night but _WOW_ _!_ What did you guys do?!"

Toriel hardly heard Undyne's question, or anything really beyond her confirmation of when this must have happened. She was too caught up in her whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. Some deep instinctual part of herself reached out with her soul in that moment, seeking out something she almost couldn't dare to believe would be there. Something she hadn't felt in over a century. But after a beat, her magic did indeed meet with something that returned a pulse right back.

It was so faint she felt she had to have imagined it, but as though reacting to finally being acknowledged, a second pulse followed with just a hint more strength. There was no mistaking it… it was the magical pulse of another soul there within her. The soul of her… of her...

Toriel didn't even realize tears had begun to form and spill over from her eyes until her vision had blurred entirely. Utterly overcome with a tidal wave of emotion, she covered her face with her paws as her shoulders shook and more tears escaped her. She all but forgot there were others around her at all, at least until she heard Undyne's voice over the roaring in her ears.

"W-Woah hey... d-don't cry." The fish monster stammered, guilt evident in her voice.

Toriel felt Undyne's scaly webbed hand touch her shoulder, while Alphys stepped up to her other side with a comforting touch of her own. Clearly they were making rash judgements on what her reaction meant, but she was still too beyond words to correct them.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I got kinda carried away there…" Undyne apologized, and Toriel could picture her facial fins drooping. "I didn't mean to..."

She trailed off, clearly unsure how finish her apology. Alphys let Undyne's statement flounder and instead gave Toriel's arm a small squeeze.

"It'll b-be okay Toriel… w-we'll help you figure th-this out. I promise." She assured her, with surprising conviction despite the tremble in her voice. "I'm s-sorry you h-had to find out l-like this…"

Their words, while appreciated, were almost humorous in the context of what she was actually feeling. The two of them obviously assumed the worst due to her tears, and the emotions emanating from her soul were still so confused that she couldn't blame. She couldn't get the waterworks to stop, and she would usually be quite embarrassed to let them see her like this, but once she felt she could manage it, she forced herself to look up at them through the haze of tears anyway. All with a shaky, but genuine smile.

"N-No... It… I-it is okay you two… It is al-alright… I'm just…" She got out the words between catches of breath, wiping at her eyes with the back of her paws. "I'm j-just so h-happy…"

Both of them reacted with significant surprise, and Toriel could feel the mood of the room change in moments. It was as though the worst of the tension was dissipated and washed away with those few words.

"Happy? You mean you wanted this to happen?" Undyne asked, sounding relieved but very perplexed.

Toriel nodded, taking a few steadying breaths and attempting to reign in her outpouring of emotions before replying verbally.

"W-well… p-perhaps not in _th-this_ way. B-But it matters not in the e-end." She said, curling her paw against her stomach a bit. "I… I have been wanting to h-have another child for some time now, in part because… i-it would finally free me from my immortality."

Alphys perked up at that, as the realization hit her.

"Oh! Th-that's right…" She said, slowly gaining a smile. "This m-means you will st-start to age again, r-right?"

Toriel nodded, still feeling rather dazed and unable to get the tears to stop. Stars she was such a mess, but did anything like her appearance or personal pride really matter in a moment like this? She sniffled, and Undyne handed her a few tissues from the box on the nurse's counter shelf. She managed to catch a hint of the fish monster's expression through her watery vision, and could see she was frowning and looked deep in thought. But Toriel couldn't spare that any attention at the moment.

She blew her nose and again waited for her breathing to even out a bit before speaking again.

"Yes… th-that is something I h-have been wishing for ever s-since we arrived on the s-surface." She reiterated with a shaky smile. "But for some time now, I c-couldn't stop thinking about and stressing over i-it… the idea of being stuck like this for all eternity… I just… I c-couldn't bear it. N-not with all that has happened."

Her smile strengthened, though the tears kept falling. She reached out to the little soul again with her magic, needing the continual reminder that all of this truly was real. The faint, but wondrous reply from them came as expected, and it emboldened her to keep talking. Even with the fresh destabilizing of her emotions that came with it. All of the fears that had been eating away at her, all of the stress and despair she'd been fighting against. It had no power over her anymore. She was free, by some great accidental but still miraculous hand of fate.

"But n-now I… I w-will get to st-stay with all of you…" She croaked out, joy and relief evident in her voice. "I w-won't have to watch you a-all grow old and l-leave me behind…"

A bewildered, exuberant little laugh left her, as she again dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

"Oh stars above… it has r-really happened…" She said quietly, shaking her head in continual shock and disbelief.

Alphys and Undyne simply looked on, obviously unsure of what to say. There was a lot Toriel had yet to explain, and she knew that. Her emotions were still burning at full intensity, and it was hard to calm down and make full sense. But she knew she needed to give them a better explanation, even if she had little choice but to do it while still being unable to stop her eyes from watering.

"Me and S-Sans… we… that night he m-made it clear he w-wanted to help me with this, t-to f-father such a child and end my s-suffering… We ag-agreed to the idea… and w-were planning to potentially see it thr-though during the spring break. But I s-suppose... the spell… it m-must of…"

She trailed off, wiping her eyes again as she tried to understand just what could have happened that night. In all her centuries of life, she hadn't ever heard of a spell being cast unintentionally. Thankfully Alphys did, and was happy to eliminate some of the situation's mystery.

"It's rare… but its not un-unheard of for conception spells to h-happen while both parties are a-asleep." Alphys explained, tapping her claws together nervously. "You both must h-have been… uh... r-really sure about th-this at that m-moment."

That statement made Toriel blink, and her tears subsided a bit as she thought that over. There was no doubt in her mind that Alphys was right, but she had been committed to being responsible and waiting for a more ideal time, had she not? Was her subconscious mind really already so convinced and confident that it was ready to commit to the idea right there on the spot?

She supposed it was less surprising from her end though, compared to Sans. Even now, the fact he had shown so much dedication towards the idea, both with and without alcohol in his system, amazed her. And indeed, looking back, she could fully believe that inebriated or not, he had been fully willing to commit to all this that night he spoke of it. It was the only way any of this made sense, and offered her some reassurance in regards to the more nebulous aspects of the situation.

"So Sans wanted this then too?" Undyne spoke up then, somewhat echoing Toriel's own thoughts. "He'll be happy about it? I mean it's a relief but it does sound a bit odd for him of all monsters. I never once thought of _him_ ever having kids. But then again… I didn't think he'd ever date either."

Those were fair assumptions, she couldn't lie. She'd assumed much the same when she was hesitating over where to tell him of her feelings, had she not? But everything that had happened since the previous spring had changed a lot of things like that for her dear skeleton, and for the better. Now it would be short sided to assume what Sans could and could not achieve or wish for himself. She nodded to Undyne, scarlet eyes seeming to sparkle beyond the lingering tears.

"Yes… he was the one who offered to do this for me in the first place. It seems he has been set on that decision for some time." She mused fondly. "And though I have told him to think about it before making a decision, he has not wavered from that. He was… determined even, to do this for me… Oh stars, he really has come a long way, has he not? And now I… I..."

Despite her efforts, another wave of tears escaped her and she covered her face with her paws.

"Stars above… I have been free all this time… and I did not even know it." She gasped, the full realization truly starting to set in.

For a month now she had been living as she once had over a century ago, just a mortal monster like any other. Part of her had expected the transition to be more dramatic after being trapped the same age for all that time, but she hadn't felt anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps that was only right in the end. Her soul had been in utter agony from grief and heartache when she'd been condemned to immortality, it was a rare kindness from the universe that losing it should be painless.

But even without that pain, her swirling emotions continued to rule her. To so suddenly have some of her worst fears lifted away, to have the future with those she loved now a tangible prospect, to have a… another child she would have the honor to raise and love… it was almost too much joy to handle at once. A joy and freedom that he had gifted her, just as he had wished to do.

She could feel Undyne and Alphys near her again as she rode out the rest of that particularly affecting wave of emotion. Their patience and support touched her deeply, not necessarily aiding her in her goal of getting a hold of herself, but deeply appreciated nonetheless.

"Oh forgive me… I am such a mess right now." She said shakily once she managed to regain some of her composure. "Even in these circumstances… This is no way to behave in the school where I teach."

Alphys laughed sympathetically at that and handed her another tissue with a bright smile.

"W-well it's more than u-understandable." The lizard monster assured her, before moving closer to give her a little hug. "I'm so h-happy for you!"

Toriel sniffed and managed a smile back as she returned the hug gratefully. Undyne was still clearly lost in thought about the situation, and didn't react as quickly. But after a moment, she appeared to snap out of whatever thoughts were occupying her with a blink and offered Toriel one of her signature wide toothy grins as well.

"Yeah totally. Congrats Toriel!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "Oh wow, guess this means you are going to have another kid, huh? A skeleton boss monster maybe? I can't wait to meet them someday! I know they'll be awesome!"

Her facial fins flicked excitedly as the prospect seemed to be setting in more for her too.

"Ah man, Frisk is gonna flip! And Sans..."

Before Toriel could react, Undyne was pulling her to her feet. The fish monster's strength once again made itself known as Toriel found herself standing again before she could blink. Usually such a thing would only make her disoriented for a moment, and maybe result in a sore shoulder. But she found herself a bit stiffer than she would have typically been, curling her free around her middle subconsciously. Already those old instincts were returning… as though some switch had been flipped within her. It was so very surreal, but... in a good way.

Undyne didn't allow her to ponder on that realization though, bringing her back to the excitement of the moment at hand.

"Gah! What are you waiting for? Go grab up that skeleton and take him home to tell him the good news!" Undyne exclaimed, urging Toriel towards the door. "Me and Al can handle things here for today, no problem! And we'll take care of Frisk too. We'll just tell them you weren't feeling well for now."

Alphys nodded her agreement, hurrying over to keep up with her enthusiastic girlfriend.

'Y-Yeah! And I can stop by af-after school when we drop Fr-Frisk off with some of my more advanced e-equipment. To give you and the… the little s-soul... a more thorough checkup."

The lizard monster then paused, looking as though she realized something and doubled back towards the counter drawers.

"O-oh and before y-you go!" She said, rapidly digging through the contents again and then rushing back over she had what she'd been looking for.

Alphys placed a pill bottle into Toriel's paw, a faint glow coming from inside betraying the medication's magical nature.

"Some meds… to help with the m-morning sickness and any h-headaches you might h-have." Alphys explained with a slightly nervous laugh.

Toriel smiled down at her warmly as she closed her paw around the thoughtful gift. Her gratitude for hers and Undyne's support returned once again, penetrating the still thick haze of shock and joy that seemed set on blocking out most everything else. Even if she was experiencing what was very well one of the happiest moments of her life, she couldn't lose sight of showing proper appreciation.

So happy she was, and perhaps feeding off Undyne's own energy a bit, she hugged them both at once and lifted them off the floor in the same motion. She gave them a squeeze, beaming all the while. It wasn't the dignified way to show thanks, but she'd be damned if she let that hold her back from acting on what her soul felt was right in this situation.

"Thank you Alphys… both of you. I am truly so blessed to be able to call you two my friends." She said, squeezing them for another few moments before setting them down again. "I… I will call later to see how the day went and about having you come over, Alphys."

With that, she almost made to leave, but paused as her moment of clarity brought another realization to her. One that was a little less welcome and a lot more confusing.

"Though Alphys… I must ask…" She said, looking back at the lizard monster with a raised brow. "Just why _did_ you have pregnancy tests stocked in a school for young children?"

That question got Undyne to look down at her girlfriend as well, looking just as perplexed and a little disturbed by the implications. But Alphys rapidly waved her hands dismissively.

"I-I promise, they j-just came in one of the general medical s-supply kits I o-ordered. That's all." She insisted with another nervous laugh. "I was a-actually planning on sh-shipping those and a few other th-things I don't need back, b-but I guess they actually c-came in handy, ehehe…"

It was an answer that brought relief, though from what Toriel didn't really want to think about. She would just choose to focus on the fact that the supply company's blunder had ended up contributing to something truly wonderful and leave it at that. Besides, she didn't want to let her thoughts drift anywhere away from where they should be at the moment.

"Fair enough." She said to Alphys, before looking between the both of them. " I suppose I do have one last thing I should ask of you two before I leave though."

The couple looked at her expectantly, still caught up in the emotions of the moment to the point their eyes were all but sparkling.

"For the time being, could you please keep this news between us?" Toriel asked, moving her paw over her stomach again. "I… I wish to better take all this in and discuss it with Sans before potentially making this public knowledge. Some may… take it unfavorably after all."

Alphys nodded quickly, so fast that her glasses briefly went askew.

"Of c-course! Our lips are s-sealed, ehehe." The lizard monster promised, shakily miming the zipping of her lips.

Undyne again took a moment longer than expected to respond, looking as though she were thinking about something. This time, Toriel could guess what that something likely was. If she knew Undyne, she knew that the fish monster was going to want to talk about this with Asgore, no doubt worried how the monster she seemed to see as a father figure would take the news.

In truth, Asgore was the last monster Toriel wanted to find out about this without warning. Her relationship with her ex-husband was improving certainly, but it was still a slow process for her. Even then though, she wouldn't dump something like this on him without care. Perhaps something in Toriel's gaze then got to Undyne, as the fish monster remembered herself and regained her usual wide toothy grin.

"Y-Yah, no problem. Your secret's safe with us." She assured her, tapping her fist against her chest. "Now go find that bonehead and tell him, damn it!"

That part made Toriel laugh again despite herself, both in relief and amusement. It allowed all her excitement and joy to dominate her thoughts once again, pushing her worries regarding Asgore and whatever else away for now.

"Very well then!" She agreed, finally opening the door behind her. "Goodbye, both of you! And thank you again!"

The couple waved back as she left, the pair of them almost matching her for their level of excitement. Perhaps all the joy being summoned from her soul was contagious. Toriel heard Undyne ask Alphys something about eggs and the future, as well as Alphys' flustered reaction before the door shut behind her.

Once she was alone though, Toriel felt some of the true weight of the situation steadily setting in, causing her steps to slow. She'd already spent all her tearful emotion for now, and had managed to get through the worst of the shock, but she needed time now to just… breathe.

Once she got back to her classroom to get her things, she sat down at her desk for a little while, staring out the window at the snow covered world outside. There was still a little time before the children would start arriving for class. She would need to go before they got here, but she decided to allow herself some time to just process what had happened, and how she was going to share the news with her dear skeleton.

The entire time she sat there looking at the now white topped Mt. Ebott, she sought out the little soul's energy as she ran her paw over her middle. It was only just strong enough to be detectable, a distant flicker in comparison to her own soul's energy. So small, so very precious… still little more than a miraculous minuscule spark at this stage. And yet her mind was already racing with ideas and questions.

What would they look like? What would they sound like? What sort of magic would they possess? Would they share their parents' sense of humor? Would they be tall, short or in between? What sort of hobbies would they enjoy? What kinds of friends would they make? How would they get along with their siblings? What would their name be? Would they be healthier, stronger, growing up in the fresh, open air and under the warmth of the sun?

Though the little soul couldn't reply to such queries, she did feel its magic grow just a hint stronger, as though reacting once more to being acknowledged. She made a silent vow to them then, her tiny unborn child, that she'd give them all the attention she could going forward. Both while she carried them, and of course once they had been brought into the world.

More exciting questions ran on and on in a way that could have been endless, but she knew she couldn't linger in the classroom much longer. She had to think of the best way to tell Sans and her family of what had happened. It was not going to be easy, as it would surely be an incredible shock to all. Something she and Sans' original plans had attempted to avoid. Telling him in particular after promising him a whole other month for him to potentially reconsider would be difficult, even with his continued dedication to the idea. But it would all work out and be worth it in the end, she just knew it. She'd dedicate herself to making that so.

Sans had given her the blessing of this child, and her freedom from immortality. Even if it was not how they'd originally planned. Now they could look towards a brighter future without that great fear weighing down on them, and this child they would raise to be a part of that bright future. It was a thought the nearly brought a tear to her eye once more, but she rubbed it away with losing the warm, soft smile on her face.

After a few more minutes of quiet reflection, she mentally readied herself and gathered her things in preparation to go home. All the while the symptoms she'd been experiencing didn't register as they had before. Her soul's magic still churned a bit, her head was a little hazy and she definitely could tell the little soul had been draining magic from her already. But all of that was almost welcomed now, as signs of the little life that dwelled inside her. Reminders that yes… this was all real.

She rose more carefully then, sweeping a final glance across her classroom. Depending on how long she may have to take off for maternity leave in the future, she may be seeing this room less than usual. It was one negative aspect to all this she'd have to contend with, and she'd have to figure out what she would be telling her students. But all of that could wait to be figured out further down the road. She didn't want to lose sight of the joy of this because of her usual incessant worrying. For now, there was only one thing she needed to put her focus on doing.

So once she again ensured she had all her things, laid the day's lesson plan out on the desk for Alphys, and turned on all the lights for the soon to be arriving students, she went ahead and left the classroom.

She had to tell this little soul's father the good news after all.

-—

She found the skeleton in question where he usually was on a normal Thursday morning, dozing against the vacuum cleaner at the end of the main hallway. The carpet had indeed been thoroughly cleaned, making his act of laziness less egregious, but she still shook her head with an exasperated smile as she approached him. High above, she spotted Sans' ever loyal blaster GB as he zipped by with a rag in his mouth, seemingly hard at work helping to clean the top areas of the tall windows.

Upon spotting her, the blaster let out a high pitched happy trill and rushed down to greet her. Caught up in his excitement, the blaster dropped the rag he was carrying right onto his wielder's skull with a wet slapping noise. That woke the skeleton right up, who startled for a moment and sent the rag flying with his magic. His flashing blue and yellow eye light darted around a moment before he realized where he was and looked at the wet rag he had just flung against the wall.

He relaxed again after a moment with a somewhat shaky laugh. After floating the rag back over and putting it back in the storage bucket, he blinked and his usual soft white eyelights returned as he finally took notice of Toriel.

"Hello, my dear." She greeted him with a touch of concern."Are you quite alright?"

The blaster nuzzling into her side demanded to be acknowledged too, rumbling with that deep, reverberating purring sound. It had been a while since she'd last got to see him, so she was quite happy to oblige.

"And hello to you too GB" She said more cheerfully, giving the blaster a few pets.

The blaster purred louder at that, as Sans walked up to stand beside his overly affectionate weapon.

"oh, hey tori." He greeted her, wiping the soapy water off of his face with a dry rag. "yah, im fine, heh. gb just wanted to make sure i _clean up_ my act."

As she giggled at his joke, he stuffed the rag in his hoodie pocket and looked up at her, smiling one of his wonderful true smiles. The kind that always made her soul flutter a bit.

"whatcha doing over here? aren't the kiddos gonna arrive soon?" He asked curiously, quirking a brow ridge at her.

The question brought back the reality of the situation quickly, and it was so hard not to just tell him right then and there. But she didn't want to risk any of the other staff overhearing, as some had a tendency to seek out any reason to gossip. And besides, telling him at home would be far more special and appropriate. So she'd need to wait for the moment and keep the secret… which was far easier said than done.

"Well um… there has been a certain change of plans." She said, fighting the urge to smile.

Sans' expression changed then, and for a moment she thought he must be able to see right through her. But then she realized it was not suspicion on his face, but concern.

"hey... you okay?" He asked, stepping a bit closer and softening his tone. "you look like you've been crying…"

She blinked, taking a moment to process what he was talking about. Until she remembered that yes, she had been crying, though not for anything negative. He wouldn't know that though, and couldn't know it yet. She'd have to think of something to say in reply, and quickly.

"Well… um…" She stammered for a moment as her mind raced, still feeling the corners of her mouth tugging upward. "I am not upset or anything, though I am afraid I am not feeling so well… and the others think it best I just go home for the day. Undyne and Alphys have already agreed to handle the class for today, and to take Frisk home after school."

Thankfully, even though she felt her acting skills were less than convincing, he seemed to buy it. His expression relaxed and the concern that lingered there took on a different nature.

"ah geez… i was worried whatever you had might get worse." He said, though thankfully not in a patronizing manner.

With how he had been trying to convince her to stay home and rest ever since catching her getting sick the first time, it would have been easy for him to make this a "I told you so" kind of moment. Perhaps a little of that could be seen in those bright eyelights of his, but he was kind not to rub it in at all. He instead gently took her paw in his hand and gave her a wink.

"it'll be alright. i'll take ya home. i'll text xena and made have her finish up the rest of my shift. she owes me for letting her borrow my best hand buzzer." He said, with that reassuring casual tone she so loved. "did al have a look at ya?"

Toriel nodded, unable to keep a small smile from appearing on her face as she gave Sans' hand a light squeeze back.

"Yes she did." She confirmed, almost touching her stomach again with her free paw by instinct before remembering herself. "She well… figured out what it was, and she gave me some meds to take. It pains me to not be here for my students… but it is for the best in this case."

The purposely vague statements seemed awkward to her, but Sans didn't question them. She couldn't be sure if that was because he simply trusted her, or was pulling a particularly good poker face for the moment. Whatever the case, he nodded thoughtfully.

"don't sweat it tori, we'll get you feeling better and you'll be back in no time." He assured her with a wide grin. "for now though, let's get you home so you can take it easy. the sooner you rest, the sooner you'll _teach_ this sickness of yours a _lesson_."

The double puns broke some of her resolve and she laughed hard for a few moments. It honestly wasn't ideal as it didn't help her still faintly lingering nausea, but she just couldn't help it. Trying not to laugh around him when he firing odd puns was next to impossible for her.

His lack of worry about just up and leaving work didn't surprise her either, and not just because of his tendency to sleep through most of his shift. They didn't have to worry about their financial situation being affected by her needing to take off from her duties school in the near future. It turned out that the gold that monsters had used as currency while in the Underground was _far_ more valuable on the surface.

Needless to say, most monsters ended up with quite a sizable return of funds once they traded in their gold pieces. Such was the reason Newer Home, including her school was able to be developed so quickly as well, and continued to expand and flourish despite the many powers that be opposing them.

Her family had more than enough to live comfortably and pursue their passions here on the surface. And more than enough to support this new child once they were born. So there was little more than her own guilt at play in making her feel badly about having to leave, and she could be at peace with that for the sake of the current blessing of a situation.

"Very well, thank you love." She said warmly, before giving him a wink of her own. " _Ill_ surely remember that one for a long time."

The laugh she got in return from him made it incredibly difficult to maintain the appearance of someone who was ill and being forced away from the job she loved. It took a lot of effort to keep the true extent of her smile contained. Once his laughter trailed off, he looked over at GB who Toriel finally noticed was looking at her in an odd way. He seemed curious and was drifting around her, prodding at her lightly with his muzzle with a soft sniffing sound. She'd never seen him act like that before.

"c'mon gb, leave her be." Sans scolded him, pushing the blaster back a bit. "she doesn't have any treats for ya."

GB obeyed and allowed himself to be separated from Toriel, but he continued to keep his gaze fixed on her, tilting a bit in curiosity. Toriel looked at him in confusion, not sure what to make of the blaster's odd behavior. She did notice then that his large ringed eyelights weren't focused on her face. Rather around her stomach area…

She blinked. Did… did the blaster know? Could he somehow tell that she was…?

"hey pal, it's rude to stare." Sans said, with just enough of an edge to his voice.

That seemed to snap the blaster out of whatever was transfixing him. He drifted back a little more with an apologetic expression and soft whine, dropping his gaze to the floor. Toriel smiled sympathetically at him and waved her free paw dismissively.

"It is alright, my friend." She said simply, still wondering if the blaster had actually picked up on something his wielder could not.

It became apparent to her then that Sans' magic was building in preparation to teleport the three of them back to the house. She could feel the prickling sensation that can with it against her paw pads. At first she just began to mentally prepare herself for it, as she had any other time he'd taken her along in one of his shortcuts. But then she remembered her current situation in a flash, going stiff. She snapped her gaze back to him, the sudden realization hitting her quickly.

"you ready?" He asked her, casual as ever.

Driven by instinct, she quickly pulled her paw away as though it had been stung, stepping back just a bit. He flinched, and concern quickly returned to his expression. As the spike in adrenaline began to ebb, Toriel quickly tried to play off what had just happened.

"A-actually Sans… I think it would be best if we took the van home." She said, trying to sound as natural as she could. "I um… I am not sure teleporting is such a good idea in my... condition."

Now she was sure he knew something was up. He could see through her well enough when she was stressing over far lesser things. It was silly to think he wouldn't see through her poor attempts at lying over something so important. Still, even though the knowingness lingered in his eyelights, he did regain his usual smile and gave his shoulders a shrug.

"yah, good call. shortcuts do have a tendency to make people pukey, heh. or well… more pukey in your case." He said with a light chuckle. "you sure you feel okay to drive though?"

Toriel let out a quiet sigh of relief and relaxed again before nodding in reply. She knew Sans likely wanted to offer to drive her himself, but he still was less than confident in operating anything with wheels that wasn't a firmly balanced tricycle. And admittedly… he couldn't really reach the pedals in her large van all that well, even with the seat moved up as much as possible.

"Yes, I am sure I will be fine." She affirmed with a smile. "It is only a short distance after all."

He grinned at that, seemingly satisfied, and took her paw again. Though Toriel could still see traces of suspicion in the lights of his eyes even as he tried to look casual with his free hand in his hoodie pocket. He likely was planning to confront her about it as he had before once they got home, set on holding to their agreement of being more open and honest with one another. It wouldn't be like him now to simply let something like this go ignored, especially with the evidence she'd been upset.

She was all too glad then that what he would come to find was the source of her behavior would be, in all likelihood, joyous news for them both.

Sans reached over then to touch GB's muzzle, intending on sending his blaster back to his pocket dimension, But Toriel stopped him with a gentle squeeze of his hand. GB's behavior before was odd and possibly a sign he was on to her secret, but he didn't deserve to be sent away for that. And she really did wish to spend more time with him after not seeing him for some time.

"Oh, and feel free to leave GB out as well." She said, much to the blaster's delight. "If he can behave in the car that is."

GB trilled happily, brushing up against her with another deep purring sound. Sans looked a bit skeptical, but relented with a sigh and patted his blaster's side.

"what do you think buddy? think you can manage not to chew up the seatbelts?" He asked, quirking a brow ridge.

The blaster made what sounded like an affirmative rumble, moving in a eager nodding motion. Then he turned back to Toriel and nuzzled her again, trying to get under her arm and acting particularly affectionate. Again, she had her suspicions as to why, but she found the blaster's action so endearing that she was all too happy to play along.

"Oh stop it you adorable little troublemaker." She said in a manner that could be taken as cutesy baby talk. "Are you just eager for attention today? Oh are you not just the sweetest thing?"

It felt as though the urge to speak that way came out of nowhere, and made her soul feel all light and fluttery again. Old instincts she hadn't felt so strongly in well over a century were welling up again, strongly enough that she didn't even care how silly she was acting. She had been speaking to Frisk and even that small white dog that way a lot more as of late as well. She'd initially blamed it on her interactions with Dogriel bringing out that side of her during the times she'd babysat them or visited the Dogi family. But with this new revelation… it was beginning to make a lot more sense.

She noticed Sans chuckling to himself looking up at her with amusement twinkling in his eyelights. She blushed lightly under her fur and cleared her throat, though she was unable to banish the smile from her face this time. GB was oblivious to her embarrassment, just overjoyed at getting so much attention. He continued rumbling and purring like an old engine as he brushed up against her and Sans again and again. Sans only put a stop to the blaster's antics by laying a hand on top of his skull, holding him in place.

GB halted, but continued making that purring sound and kept his gaze on her. Sans chuckled again, both amusement and confusion evident in the sound. He leaned against his blaster and looked up at her with another quizzical look, though still with a smile included.

"heh, y'know... you're awfully smiley and cheery for a sick person tori." He said, more directly calling her out. "what's up? this big bonehead of a blaster really that cute to ya?"

He gave GB a pat at that, causing the blaster to get all wiggly and excited again. Toriel was tempted to just answer yes for that alone, but the stirring within her soul, along with the other that dwelled inside her, compelled her to hold her tongue and consider her answer. She and Sans with GB in tow began making their way towards the front door of the school, and once they'd past the first grand window, she looked back down at her dear skeleton with a bright smile. For this one, she let the emotions of her soul guide it freely, holding none of her true joy back.

"I will... tell you when we get home, my love."


	6. Stupefy

The drive home felt as though it took an eternity, and not just because of the winter weather requiring them to drive slowly. Toriel struggled the entire time to keep herself from giving away the massive secret she was harboring before they got home. Sans did not make it any easier on her either, now aware something was up and clearly invested in whatever she had tell him. He kept asking playful questions from his place slumped in the passenger's seat, in hopes of cracking her resolve, or at least getting her to spill some small hint. She held firm, but it was not an easy task.

GB did keep Sans somewhat occupied though once they got out onto the main road. The blaster's excitement upon riding in the vehicle was obvious, wanting to stick his head out the window and stare at the occupants of other cars just like a certain small, white dog would. Sans only allowed this after shrinking GB down to the size of said dog, hopefully reducing the terror he'd instill in any humans passing by.

One would think humans would be less startled by the varied appearances of monsters after more than a year living among them, but Toriel had still seen plenty let out a piercing scream upon a monster unexpectedly rounding a corner or opening a door. And as much as _she_ felt GB was rather cute, his appearance didn't lend itself to fantastic first impressions. Silly as that was, Sans was wise not to risk causing any accidents by allowing a fully sized blaster to stick his great maw out the window.

Seeing how Sans interacted with GB, being supportive and letting him have fun while also showing a level of responsibility about it, it couldn't help but stir up more exciting questions regarding what she had to tell him.

She was well aware how he acted around his blaster and how he potentially would act around this child she was carrying was not at all an apt comparison, but her mind still instinctively made that connection nonetheless. It painted a truly heartwarming picture in her mind, and it only made her all the more eager to finally get home and tell him the news. But first things first, she needed to get them all home safely.

The van plodded along carefully towards home, a small bubble of warmth passing through the winter's icy chill.

...

It was not long before she found herself, Sans and, GB all standing in the entryway of the home, removing their extra layers of clothing. They had parked and rushed inside in a hurry, and not just for the cold. There was a palpable anticipation in the air, the cumulation of how it had been building on the ride over. Toriel scarcely dared to breathe as she hung her coat on the rack, fearing her resolve would break and she'd be smiling hard enough to make her cheeks hurt. Followed by no doubt spilling the news in an excited rush like a waterfall of words.

She held onto her composure though, at least until they both headed into the living room. He had gone there as though by some odd instinct, his miniaturized blaster following close behind him. And once Sans finally turned to face her, so very expectantly, Toriel found she simply couldn't hold back the overwhelming joy consuming her soul any longer.

Without so much as a warning, she scooped Sans off his feet and hugged him close. She span around a bit as she became more caught up in the moment, soft, exuberant little laughs escaping her. Sans met the reaction with a chuckle of his own, though his was tinged with confusion and surprise as well.

"woah, what's up tori?" He asked, looking up at her with a wink once she stopped spinning. "sides' me that is, heh. you know i love your hugs and all, but this still seems weird coming from someone who's supposed to be sick."

All she could initially to that was react with another giggle, unable to banish the great smile from her face or the sparkle from her eyes. Now was the time to tell him, surely. But she found she was still so utterly overcome with her emotions that it was suddenly difficult to speak.

"Oh my love, I… I am not sure how to even put into words." She managed to get out, almost in a rush of one breath. "I guess I can only start with… thank you. Thank you so much… I am not sure I could ever truly repay you for this."

Sans quirked a brow ridge at her, clearly still not understanding what was happening.

"um… you're welcome?" He said, noticeably finding her smile contagious despite his confusion. "sorry t, still not getting through this numbskull of mine. what's this all about?"

His reaction threw her off even more, as part of her had been expecting the moment she let all the joy show on her face, he'd know what must have happened. But given how improbable the situation was, likely even still impossible in Sans' mind, she knew she was going to have to tell him more directly. That wasn't easy to do with words at that moment, her nerves were still too heightened to get the words out properly. Though an idea did quickly come to her, pieced together from what she knew would get the news across in a way that would be easier for both of them.

Once she took a few deep breaths to steady herself, and reached into that old royal training on maintaining poise, she spoke again. She began this time with a question of her own.

"Sans… do you still retain your same resolve to have a child with me that you did during New Years?" She asked in a far calmer tone, almost akin to her former royal one.

Sans blinked, surprised again by the question. But after a moment that emotion faded back into a comfortable smile. It was a question she'd asked him many times before this day, and each time he'd given the same answer.

"getting anxious now that the break's getting closer, huh?" He noted with a chuckle before his expression gained a touch of seriousness again. "yah tori, i do. it's a crazy thing in a lot of ways, thinking about it puts my skull in a whirl. and… not gonna lie, i'm totally nervous, like more nervous than i've been for almost anything… heh. but i still really want to help you with that."

A soft blush spread over his cheekbones and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"i'm no good with sappy words but… it just feels right. so i'm still in, if you're still okay with it being me that is…"

It was same confirmation he had offered her every other time she'd asked, but this time its impact in bringing relief and joy to her soul was stronger than ever. She hugged him close again in a tighter embrace, pressing her face against the soft material of his hood.

"More than okay." She said, voice shaking a little from all the emotion. "I am… so happy to hear that."

Sans was still clearly confused by the whole situation, but he returned the hug nonetheless, likely sensing the state of her soul. He let them both maintain the embrace for a few long moments before letting go again in order to better face her. When he did, his expression was perplexed and expectant.

"so… what's this you've got to tell me?" He asked, clearly nearly as eager to have what she was hiding be revealed as she was. "i was thinking i'd get everything set up so you could hopefully sleep off this bug of yours, and maybe catch a few z's along with you… but something tells me there's more going on here."

Toriel smiled a softer smile and moved to briefly press her forehead against his own. At the same time, it acted as a method to prepare herself for what was to come next. This was to be the last few moments before their lives shifted forever, and the weight of that deserved time to set in.

"There is little that gets past you, is there, my dear?" She asked in a quieter tone, having steeled herself enough to feel ready.

Without a word, she gently set Sans back down on the ground, smiling in the face of his continued confusion. He clearly trusted her though, and when she reached to take his hand and guide it to rest against her stomach, he allowed it without question. He blinked, keeping his hand in place, but only becoming more lost as to her intentions initially.

"you want me practicing already?" He asked her with a chuckle, quirking a brow at her. "geez t, you sure are-"

All at once he stiffened, the little lights of his eyes shrinking to pinpricks. He blinked again, and his hand moved a little across her stomach. As his mind began to truly register what she knew he must be feeling, she could feel that hand begin to tremble. Beside them both, GB was tuned into the moment as well, but spent it just watching from a short distance away with wide, sparkly eyelights.

Toriel reached down and rested a hand on Sans' back. Both to steady him, and encourage him to hear her voice over the shock that was setting in.

"You can feel their magic, love, can you not?" She asked, feeling a few joyful tears start to well. "I know from experience… developing souls tend to react strongly in the presence of their other parent. It should be just enough for their magic to be detectable... even at this stage."

Sans stayed silent for a few more beats, still frozen in place. Then he finally looked up at her, tiny eyelights bright with disbelief and shock.

"t-tori... what? h-how...?" He stammered out, in a unbidden rush "y-you… you're already…"

Toriel nodded, answering the question he just couldn't manage to get out.

"It was a shock to me too..." She confirmed, moving her paw to lay over his. "I did not know until this morning but.. It makes everything that has been happening suddenly make much more sense. From what Alphys has told me… it seems that you and I must have cast the spell that night on New Years once we had fallen asleep."

Sans, utterly bewildered, didn't fully parse her words for a few moments. He looked down at their stacked hands on her middle before he spoke again.

"th-that…" He croaked out the word, having to take a steadying breath before continuing. "that can happen?"

Again, Toriel met his question with a nod, gently curling her fingers over his hand.

"I had no idea either, but apparently so. If both parties are full invested in the idea at the time, that is." She explained, relaying Alphys' words from before. "Which means… I have been pregnant… and mortal… ever since that night."

The words hung between them, charging the air with emotion. Sans' was clearly trying to form words, form some sort of reply at least. But the enormity of what was happening here was taking its toll on him. His eyelights grew a bit hazy, sweat ran down his skull, and Toriel could hear his bones starting to rattle a little.

"Are you alright?" She asked, already moving to support him better. "Come on, you should sit down, love."

Sans nodded shakily, allowing her to help him the few steps over to the couch. As they walked, words began spilling out of him again. And though they were still breathless with shock, the first hints of joy were starting to leak though as well.

"s-sorry… i'm not… i… just… i don't…"

Toriel smiled sympathetically, assisting him in getting settled on the couch. He collapsed onto it as though his bones had turned to jelly, still trembling a bit. She sank down then next to him and wrapped a supportive arm around his unsteady form. GB Followed after them, settling partway on Sans' lap and purring deeply as he looked up at them.

"It is alright, my dear." She assured him, leaning over to give a little nuzzle against his cheekbone. "I understand how much of a tremendous shock this all is."

The little acts of affection from both her and his blaster seemed to help ground him, and his breathing slowed in an effort to steady himself. After managing to regain some clarity of thought and calming his shivering, he again looked over at Toriel's middle. She invited him to lay his hand there once more, now that it seemed he'd be able to better appreciate what he'd be sensing there. It felt to her that the little soul inside her did indeed stir more prominently when Sans touched her stomach, even if it was still only barely perceivable.

Upon feeling the little soul's faint magic once again, more of the shock began to melt away into something more joyous. A shaky, somewhat bewildered little laugh escaped him, his smile both softened as well as grew larger, and his eyelights began to sparkle in earnest.

"heh... oh wow…" He breathed, tears starting to become visible along the edges of his sockets.

One escaped down his cheekbone before he became aware of their presence. A far cry from her own incredibly emotional reaction, but still quite notable for him in particular.

"ah geez…" He rasped out, wiping at the sudden wetness with his free hand. "g-guess i know why you w-were crying earlier…"

Another short bout of wheezy, overwhelmed laughter escaped him, and he moved that same hand to cover his sockets.

"stars though… what did we do?" He asked, directing the question at nobody in particular. "guess those fireballs got to us more than we thought…"

He took another few deep breaths, the joyful emotions she'd felt from him before noticeably growing in their perceptibility with each one. When he dropped his hand from his face, the tears remained, but they had been paired with a wobbly, wide smile and those wonderful starry eyelights.

"that's... this is great tori, i'm s-so glad it worked out." He said, reaching to take her paw. "yah i-its… its a shock, really sudden, and kind throws our earlier plans out the window. th-there's uh… definitely no going back from this now, huh? heh…"

His eyelights wavered as it seemed his mind was abuzz with thoughts. But rather than lingering on them then, he too favored just getting lost in the happiness of the moment. He squeezed her paw tight and leaned into her with another breathless little chuckle.

"we'll f-figure it out… j-just… _wow_ … wow... i'm so happy for you." He babbled on, his energy levels starting to noticeably spike as the worst of the shock began to wane.

It led to him launching into a wave of questions, each coming faster than the last.

"i-is everything okay? like d-do you feel alright? is the little guy alright? does losing your immortality have side effects? d-do i need to do anything-"

Toriel moved a paw to cradle his cheekbone, giggling softly as she did so. It was an act both to gently cut him off, and to make it easier to plant a little kiss to his forehead. Her soul was so full of joy that she could have peppered his skull in a hundred such little acts of affection, but she settled for one for now.

"Shh… slow down now, love." She said warmly. "One thing at a time."

Face awash in cyan and still fidgeting with the instinctual need to do something about the situation at hand, Sans nodded. He leaned into her touch a bit, and she could feel his manic magic steadily even out a little. She cleared her throat, working out the best way to tackle his questions for a moment before speaking again.

"To start, Alphys will be here later to check what she can of the little soul's condition. But from what I can feel from them… they seem just fine. Their magic is strong for a soul their size."

Relief softened the lights of his eyes, but he didn't interrupt, clearly still quite anxious to have his worries be addressed. She mused that it was a funny sort of role reversal for them, at least for most situations.

"Secondly, I am fine as well." She assured him, sweeping a thumb gently across his cheekbone. "I am having to deal with the expected symptoms that comes with pregnancy of course, but they are nothing severe at this stage, nothing I have not dealt with before, and now that I know where those symptoms are coming from… I am finding it hard to feel negative about them. Also Alphys was kind enough to give me some medicine to help handle them."

As if in response, her soul's magic churned easily, perhaps due to how stirred up the little soul was from all the excitement they both were feeling. But as she had stated, she somewhat welcomed the sick feeling. At least for now. Any sign of the little one's presence and good health was a sign she'd be happy to endure… even if it meant having to let the brief wave of nausea pass before she continued.

"Third, surely if there were any negative side effects to losing my immortality, I would have experienced them by now. It has already been about a month after all. And I never experienced anything like that when I had Asriel." She explained, smile growing wider as her soul spilled over with joy at the reminder.

"And finally, you do not have to do anything right now." She stated with another little nuzzle against his nasal ridge. "Yes… there will be a lot to do in the months ahead. We will need to properly prepare for this child's arrival. and make sure we get the news out in a mindful way. The children need to be told first and foremost, and that task… it needs to be my own."

Putting that prospect into words once again just about bowled her over with the weight of the situation. In a way that inspired both worry and great jubilation.

"Stars above, this all still feels like a dream." She murmured, blinking back a few fresh tears of her own. "For now though, all we can do is wait for the others to get home, and for Alphys to bring over what she needs to really take a good look at them."

Sans' smile softened at that, though she could tell he was still caught up in her other point regarding breaking the news to her children. He looked a little hesitant about her facing that alone, as she would guess he'd feel about her facing any part of this alone. But if he had any wish to voice a direct opposition to that, he kept it to himself for the moment. Perhaps it was because he quickly realized he had a similar task ahead of him.

"and i'm gonna have to tell pap..." Sans breathed, looking rather winded again. "geez... h-he's sure gonna be excited."

Toriel smiled at that thought, picturing the younger of the skeleton brothers' inevitable excitement with a mix of joy for him and sympathy for his brother. Judging from how enthused he'd been upon hearing she and Sans were dating... she could only imagine how much he'd be bouncing off the walls upon hearing this news.

"I am sure he will make a wonderful uncle." She said warmly, happy to use that official title.

Its impact wasn't lost on Sans either, who chuckled breathlessly as a few sweat drops ran down his skull. It was clear he agreed with her, but it was yet another detail that was making the situation more and more real for both of them.

"yah... he'll be the coolest uncle for sure." Sans agreed, in a tone that was a mix between proud and nervous.

Rather than linger on that thought, he chose to focus on something else, bringing the conversation back to where it had first begun.

"y-you're still feeling kinda sick though… right?" He asked, giving her paw a gentle squeeze. "even if it's from the little guy, you should still get some rest."

Toriel blinked at that before letting out a soft laugh that carried a tinge of weariness beyond all the exaltation. Once it passed, her eyes continued to shine, but appeared a bit heavier.

"I suppose… all the excitement has not exactly been doing my soul any favors." She admitted, laying her free paw on her stomach as another uncomfortable, subtle shift of her magic ran through her. "I suppose I should take that medicine too. But if I am being honest Sans, I doubt I am going to be able to sleep for a while. This is all just so..."

She let the statement hang, not sure of the right word she could use to possibly describe just what she was feeling, just how incredible and bewildering all this was. But perhaps she didn't need to finish it, for Sans seemed to sense her meaning just as well through their shared touch as he would have through words. He leaned into her, as though he could somehow pass on his own lazy, sleepy nature onto her that way.

"i getcha… even if you don't sleep though, it'll be easier to talk once you're cozied up in bed, right?" He offered, and she couldn't help but notice there was something almost imploring in his tone and expression.

He looked up into her eyes again, and she could see just how deeply he wanted to be helpful and proactive in some way. Likely to prove to himself and her that he could commit to such a thing going forward.

"just… let me look after you for a bit, okay?" He pleaded, tightening his grip on her paw. "i-i just…"

Almost like a mirror for her own actions, he let the sentence trail off. He seemed to already be doubting himself, and she very well couldn't let that stand now. If this would be meaningful to him, then she'd be happy to go along with it. She gave him an understanding and thankful smile, allowing some of her true weariness to finally show through as well. After so much excitement… it would be good to rest. And she would certainly would need to get used to taking it easy going forward. Just as she would have to get used to being taken care of. It wouldn't be an easy transition for a worrisome busybody like herself, but it would be necessary for the little one's sake.

"Alright, my love." She conceded, lightly touching her stomach with her free paw again. "Thank you."

...

Toriel was unfortunately right about not being able to sleep due to the swirling stream of thoughts and emotions running through her at the moment. Though lying down in bed and taking a dose of the medicine had proven to be a good idea, sleep continually eluded her. Even when Sans had her lay her head in his lap so he could rub her ears, she just couldn't settle her mind enough to nod off. So they both just lied there and reveled in this sudden great new chapter in their lives. They drifted in and out of quiet conversation all the while, sometimes just allowing their souls to share what words couldn't.

Though it became apparent after some time of this that she was not alone in her inability to sleep. She would have understood if the ever sleepy skeleton drifted off, even with the clear effort he was putting forth to prevent that before she herself found sleep. The only one getting any real rest was GB, settled on the bed beside them snoring away. But she could tell there was more to Sans' enduring wakefulness beyond just excitement over the news. He tried to keep it subdued, but with his stirred up soul so very close to her own, there was no real hiding it. And it stood out like a sore thumb amongst all the expected joyful emotions.

"Sans…" She spoke up finally after another period of silence, tone gentle but knowing. "Please tell me… what is troubling you?"

Sans startled a bit at the question, clearly not anticipating it in that moment. He relaxed again shortly after as her words set in, but unease moved into the space where surprise had opened up within him. Clear hesitation was evident in the shifting emotions from his soul, making the waves feel weaker than before. But her verbal question could not be dodged or ignored.

"heh... thought you would be asleep by now…" He said with a nervous chuckle before letting out a heavy sigh. "c'mon tori, can't we just be happy about this for a while longer? this is… like one of the biggest things that's ever happened to both of us. you're free from being immortal like you wanted. we've created a new little life in this brave new world and all. i don't want to spoil the mood already. can't worrying wait until a few months in?"

He settled his chin between her horns, wrapping his arms loosely around her neck in a hug.

"today's supposed to be about you… and the little guy. not me and my issues." He insisted, in a tone that felt as though he were speaking to himself more than her.

She hummed thoughtfully, but with a disapproving edge to it. She settled back against him more comfortably and reached up a paw to lay over his hand. She carefully stroked his thin phalanges between her large fingers for a few moments before replying properly.

"It is only natural to be worried, my dear." She assured him gently. "You are not spoiling anything, I promise. You are talking to _me_ , remember? I have more worries to sort out in this head of mine than I do strands of fur."

The joke worked in softening him a bit, as she heard as well as felt the resulting chuckle escape him. She gave one of his hands a little squeeze, one that he lazily returned.

"And you are just as much a part of this as me and our child." She went on with a calm confidence. "So please, tell me what is on your mind."

She moved their clasped hands closer to her face so she could place a soft kiss against his knucklebones. The action, even now, made him stiffen up in surprise and then all but melt. She wondered if he'd ever get used to being treated with such affection. The dear.

"It will be okay." She assured him again, leaving the following silence open for him to fill when he was ready.

Her actions had clearly been successful in loosening up his nerves somewhat, but when faced with the expectation to put his thoughts into words, she could feel much of his unease returning. She just waited patiently, staring up at the ceiling above, one paw settled over her stomach and the other lightly stroking his hand. The shadows in the room moved before he finally spoke.

"i don't… really know how to say it." He quietly got out at last. "b-but… you know how i said on new years that there was something i meant to bring up, but was forgetting?"

Toriel made a soft affirmative sound in her throat. The memory was… fuzzy, as was a lot about what happened that night, but it was there.

"well, what i wanted to bring up were my… my hesitations about the idea." He admitted, shame creeping into his voice. "how my magic and my… messed up soul… might affect the kid... i was just too damn drunk and set on the idea to remember to say it i guess. and then these past few weeks… i was just afraid to bring it up. i... i have been getting better, stronger. slowly but… it's happening. and i had already gotten your hopes so high… i also just really wanted to be able to do this for you. i... i wanted to be good enough to do this for you. so i couldn't make myself bring it up after the fact."

A strained humorless laugh escaped him, and his hand squeezed her paw tighter.

"i guess i figured, if you hadn't said anything about it yet… th-then you must not think its an issue, y'know? you know all about where i came from and the state of my soul… so if you weren't worried, then…"

He trailed off, and she could feel his emotions shift abruptly, as though they'd pushed through the barrier of denial enough to flood through his magic in full. There was a lot to pick up on in that mess of emotions. But what was most prominent… was fear.

"but what if it _does_ affect them tori? what if they end up like i was?" He burst out, as though the words had been forced from him. "what if they are born all… small and sick and weak…? what if they end up having terrible hp like i do? i… i should have never taken that risk. it was selfish… i should have just let you take some normal monster's magic so that there was no chance of them ending up with problems because of me."

The admission of his fears and shame left him breathing hard in its wake, and she could feel him starting to tremble as he had before. His mind was no doubt spiraling now through the terrible imagined consequences of being the one to father the child she now carried. Even with the progress he'd made, moments like this were not wholly uncommon, and she knew it may only snowball into a far worse reaction. Before she could react though, Toriel herself had to consider his words, force herself to let them through her haze of joy and be taken seriously. She would be lying to say his fears were unfounded, or to say she hadn't spared a worry towards the idea in the past… or towards the idea he could cast the spell at all.

But as she felt the little soul's magic faintly stirring within her, as though calling out again when they recognized they were needed, much of those fears were washed away. She doubted she could banish them as easily for Sans with simply comforting words however, she needed him to feel what she felt.

Slowly, she moved to sit up in bed, leaving Sans to shrink away some, likely taking her actions in the worst way. But once she was upright once more, she gently pulled his shaky form back into her arms, settling him in her lap. Beside her, GB stirred, likely sensing his wielder's distress. He sleepily pressed into the two of them as Toriel wrapped up her dear skeleton in her arms.

"Look here, love." She said, guiding his hand to lay against her stomach once more.

Sans allowed the act, but seemed almost afraid to touch her again. It was as though he was fearing that this time there would be nothing to feel from within her. Fearing that the little life he'd helped create would have already flickered out of existence by the very mention of his inherent weaknesses. But given she was holding him so close, resting her cheek atop his skull, it was only inevitable he'd be able to once again detect the signs of life there once more. If anything, they were easier to sense than ever, as they reacted to the close presence of their parent's souls.

Sans was quiet for a long time apart from his uneven breathing, and Toriel let him have that time to just focus on the little one. _Their_ little one… precious and hardly a spark at this point, but already making such an effort to be known. It didn't surprise her when he pressed his face against her, wetting the fabric of her dress with silent tears.

"You see? They are strong, my dear." She said warmly once it felt right to do so, running a paw gently up and down his back. "You are right to have concerns based on your own struggles regarding your health and your origins, but… this little soul has already made it through those critical first few weeks without issue. And even if they did end up with something like lower than normal HP or are born smaller than expected, that would not change how much we would both love them. Nor would that end up defining their life. We would simply just have to care for them accordingly. Those sorts of things do not make you any less of a monster, nor would it make this child any lesser."

Musing over such possibilities prodded at the edges of her mind, but she pushed them away for the moment. They could tackle those things as and if they indeed came into play, especially once Alphys had a chance to have a look later. For now, she wanted to address the concerns that were weighing on him that she knew she could combat.

"In all honesty, it is far better that it was you who fathered them Sans, even in that scenario." She insisted, feeling his shivering calm some as he listened. "It is far better for a child to have their other parent near to supply magic to them on occasion. It aids in their development, and creates a deep bond that will only grow as they do. They would not have that if I had simply taken a donation of some stranger's magic. And even though your situation is unique in its "risks"… there is just as much risk in taking a donation for this as well. There is no telling if magic from the anonymous donor might cause complications down the line after all."

She gained more confidence as she spoke, feeling her own soul spill over with love and excitement for the future which she shared with both other souls present.

"And best of all… you will be here to help raise this child once they are born. I think we both know that will make a great difference in their lives. I was fully prepared to take on raising them myself when I first told you about this, but now… I could hardly be more grateful you wished to experience all of this alongside me."

With those words hanging over them, she could feel Sans' unease really start to even out. Eventually he sniffed and moved to look up at her through watery sockets, keeping his hand in place on her stomach. The lights of his eyes were bright though, shining with a hesitant hope and joy he wanted so badly to embrace fully. She couldn't hope to rid him of all his misgivings, such a thing likely was not even possible for any pair of monsters, but she felt they'd made enough headway for now. Though he was shaken… his soul's resolve had regained its strength.

She pressed a kiss between his eye sockets, letting it linger a long moment as she swept away some of the lingering wetness from his cheekbones with her thumbs .

"We will figure this out one step at a time, love." She vowed, letting her own sweeping emotions coat her words. "I promise you though, even if things have ended up being unplanned and sudden like this... I have no regrets about letting you father this child."

Judging from the rush of warm emotions she could feel from his soul, she could tell it had been what he had needed to hear. It would surely assuage the worst of the worries he'd been harboring for now. His grin returned, though soft in matching with the sentiments carried in the lights of his eyes. He took a steadying breath and rubbed at his own sockets with his free hand before replying.

"alright tori… y-you're right. i'm… real glad you feel that way..." He croaked out, before a wheezy chuckle escaped him. "guess i should've just listened to my first instinct all along, huh?"

Toriel returned the sentiment with a giggle, unable to keep from nuzzling him again. She found her desire to shower him with such affection was even more prominent than usual, and she wasn't sure whether to blame it on hormones, or just the emotions of the situation. Likely, it was a wonderful mess of both. She marveled at the fact she hadn't suffered a mood shift during all that and ended up in tears as well. Far less quiet and reserved ones too, if her previous experience carrying Asriel was anything to go by.

For the moment though, she could keep her emotions in check… enough to keep saying what needed to be said in the appropriate tone that is. Later down the line in the pregnancy though? That was going to be far more difficult to do reliably, to put it mildly. So she better do what she could now to ensure Sans understood her true feelings.

"Your instincts do seem to be particularly good, my love." She replied, lightly nudging her forehead against his. "But there is no harm in making your worries apparent. Far better than worrying over it in silence."

He nodded with a soft sound of agreement, playfully pushing his skull back against her at the same time. It was a small thing he'd picked up from her, something enjoyed by the goat monster in her that he'd been happy to imitate. Apparently skeletons also showed a lot of their affection through little head bumps, so it had quickly become a natural thing for them in moments like this. Even with the heavier subject matter hanging over them.

Some of his energy to ebb away though, as she could almost physically feel the chill as his thoughts drifted somewhere darker, despite his best efforts to keep himself grounded emotionally. Thankfully, he didn't hide what the thought was this time, voicing it as his eyelights dimmed with rumination.

"yah..." He reiterated his earlier response verbally, sounding distant. "heh… i guess there's no way i can be a worse dad than ol g, huh?"

The question took Toriel off guard and she blinked down at him in surprise. She hadn't heard him speak his father's name in some time, nor had she any reason to pick over her myriad of returned, unresolved memories involving the former royal scientist. Even now though, thinking about what Sans had told her regarding what sort of monster Gaster had been near the end of his life, she had to suppress a shudder.

She knew that on some level his statement was just meant to be a slightly grim joke, but she didn't want him lingering on that thought any longer than could be helped. To think he'd compare himself at all to his father… it was truly absurd. Gaster was amongst the lowest a parent could ever stoop to, showing any true compassion for one's child would beat him out tenfold.

The mention of him also made her realize that Sans' upbringing was no doubt feeding into his stress over the situation. Sans really had no good frame of reference for what a dad should be like. No notable memories of positive adult figures in his life growing up to learn from. She was sure he wanted to give this child they'd created everything he couldn't, and be everything for them that his own father wasn't, but understandably feared his ability to do so.

Toriel couldn't let that stand.

"Of course." She replied, with all the proper weight and seriousness such a thing deserved. "I will say it again, I believe you will do better in that role than you think you will. You are already a hundred times the monster your father was. And now that you are really starting to make progress resisting falling back too far into those harmful old habits and mindsets, you are taking those small steps every day that you need to be taking."

Sans clearly appreciated the words once again, his soul spilling over with feelings of love as he gave her paw a squeeze. But once everything was out there in the open, he let out a stressed little laugh that strained his smile and make sweat begin to form on his skull.

"w-well... there's no way i can afford to do that with the lil guy relying on me." He said, fidgeting with the drawstrings of his hoodie. "better try and speed up the process of figuring that shit out, heh. don't want to be too much of a mess when i first get to meet the kid. gotta aim for at least a b grade first impression, right?"

Though his tone was dipping between stressed and humorous, his words still managed to communicate the worry behind them. She didn't smile, feeling the sentiments at play were serious enough to forgo levity until they were addressed.

"Sans." She gently spoke his name again, to focus his jittery attention back on her again. "I know I cannot prevent it completely but… I do hope you will not put undue strain on yourself in that regard. We all know you are doing your best and making real progress in getting better. You do not have to pressure yourself to rush with it because of this. It may only hinder your progress… or make you fall back into those old habits out of stress. And that would benefit no one in the end."

She pressed another little kiss to his skull before moving her arms around him, as though trying to contain all the nervous energy that still poured off of him and smother it away in her embrace. He let her paw go to allow this, and sluggishly returned her hug.

"Just keep going as you are, hold onto what you have managed to build for yourself. I will be here to help guide you along the way where you need it, even on the bad days. Just as we have been doing for a while now. And I will let you know how best to help me through this as well."

Despite everything, she couldn't help but smile as she held him close, still utterly gripped by the excitement of everything the faint stirring within her represented. It seemed to be a contagious feeling, for the positive emotions from her steadily eroded the harshness of the uncertainty emanating from Sans' soul, and he better relaxed in her arms.

"This will not be easy of course, but you do not need to change so drastically in order to do well in this role."

Sans remained quiet for a short time, digesting her words and picking over them until she could feel the primary emotions from his soul were positive once more. Like the light of the sun emerging out from the cover of heavy clouds.

"you're right… again, heh." He chuckled, tightening his grip on her a bit. "i'll stop going in circles with this. if you're here to help me figure out how to do it right, then i'm sure i'll get the hang of it."

Hearing his confidence returned along with his usual casual tone summoned a brighter smile to her face. He wiped away the last of any lingering moisture in his sockets and settled against her again.

"I know you will." She assured him softly, feeling the first bit of true sleepiness wash over her.

With that, it seemed as though they'd managed to talk through his initial concerns enough that he could again direct his attention at just marveling over the little spark of life he'd help bring into the world. She was tempted to lie back down and pull him down alongside her, allowing him to continue seeking out the little one's magic while she attempted to give into her weariness.

But a sudden soft question from Sans perked her up again and directed her own attention back on his voice.

"do... do _you_ have any worries about this?" He asked her, eyelights bright and exploring her expression carefully. "figure it can't just be me, heh. even if you've been through it before… you're the one who's gonna be doing all the hard work."

She blinked, still surprised by the question, then her expression softened into a mix of amusement and tiredness. No one use hiding anything now to try and pretend she was facing all this with full confidence. Besides, recent events had proven again and again that being honest with him always turned out better in the end. It still wasn't instinctual for her, but she managed to make herself do it.

"Yes…" She affirmed, sighing but maintaining her smile. "As happy as I am, there are still things I am concerned about of course. It... It has been so long since I last raised a child from infancy. And it will be a much more demanding task than it was when I was royalty. I have three children to look after here as it is, all of which are caught in such uncertain and mysterious circumstances. Plus my duties at the school will demand much from me until I take time for maternity leave. There is… just so much to plan and prepare for. On top of that…"

She grimaced a bit, as memories returned of various monster run TV programs and publications that depicted her in a less than sympathetic manner, along with the occasional hushed, scornful whispers among the crowds of her former subjects. Such things had died down as of late, especially after her time spent in the hospital, but not all monsters had been softened towards her. She could handle and accept their disdain, but she did fear what it could mean for this child… It was a sticking thought in all of this that she'd personally avoided to focus on, but it couldn't be ignored any further.

"I think we both know there are those out there who will not take this news well. I just hope that I can keep this child from having to grow up inheriting the burden of their mother's past."

Sans clearly didn't like to hear that, grin tightening at the edges, but he didn't dismiss her fears as irrational. He instead thought it over for a bit, eyelights wavering with thought like pale white candle flames in the darkness of his sockets. Then he faced her again with a more reassuring smile and tightened his grip on her a bit for emphasis.

"you'll do great tori, if anyone can balance all that and figure everything out, its you. and you've got me here to help you. not to mention everyone else once we tell them. you got tons of people around you who are going to be more than happy to help however they can." He reminded her, though he couldn't seem to maintain the cheery demeanor for much longer after the words had left him.

His eyelights dimmed and nearly left his sockets dark for a moment before he forced them to return. He could not hide all traces of his sudden anger though, no matter how good of a natural poker face he had. As usual, he played it off as lazy dismissal.

"as for anyone who'd get upset about this, it's none of their business for one. and two, if they do make a stink about it and won't clam up after a good talking to… well… i'll give em a _bad time_."

He said it with a wink, whilst his left socket quickly blazed to life in flashing shades of cyan and yellow. The colors danced across Toriel's face, as she looked at him with a stern expression. As much as she appreciated his sentiments, they mustn't joke about such things as enacting violence towards those who rightfully held negative opinions of her. Even GB looked up at his wielder with a soft whine, prompting Toriel to lay a paw on top of him to help relax the blaster.

"Sans." Toriel said his name flatly, unamused.

The flashing eyelight sputtered out, and his usual grin returned, if a bit sheepish.

"kidding, kidding." He assured her, waving his hands dismissively. "but seriously, i think they'll come around. it's hard to be bitter towards a baby after all. and if anything, i think this kid will be honored to have you as a mom."

Toriel met his response with a sigh, but couldn't fight off the smile that rose up on her face. Along with the warmth of a blush on her cheeks beneath her fur. She couldn't deny it… He had said exactly what she'd needed to hear to combat her own self doubt. Only time would tell if what he said did indeed hold true, and she hoped with all she was that he would prove to be right. She would allow herself to believe that for now.

"You are very good at knowing what to say, my dear, are you not?" She asked, tiredness and deep fondness becoming more evident in her voice.

Sans chuckled at that, giving her a particularly gentle nudge with his elbow.

"well hey, you started it." He teased with a wink, though the dusting of cyan across his cheekbones showed his appreciation for the compliment.

Something seemed to occur to him then, and he drummed his phalanges against his chin in thought. As he did, his grin widened and his eyelights regained a good deal of their sparkle.

"guess i better start working on my dad jokes, huh?" He asked, excitedly.

It wasn't excitement untempered by lingering nerves, but it was more than enough to urge a few giggles from her. The idea of that, and the near assured promise of a plethora of such jokes in the future, returned her soul to being swept up in all her previous enthusiasm.

"Oh absolutely." She agreed, feeling her short tail give a few happy flicks behind her. "I am sure you already have some in mind, do you not?"

Sans nodded, still grinning giddily. To think he'd been so upset only a few minutes before, but then again, this had proven to be normal for him. And it was a far better normal than he used to have.

Rather than launching into said jokes, he moved back from her a bit and motioned for her to lie down again. She tilted her head, perplexed and trying to discern if this was the build up to some prank. But she did as he asked, happy to settle back on her side and rest her head against the pillows. The tiredness that had gripped her hadn't faded, and indeed swelled up more as she got comfortable.

Sans flopped down in front of her with a quiet rattle of bones, followed by GB who settled against his wielder's back, purring deeply. The blaster had initially moved to try and get between them, aiming for the most comfortable spot most likely, but Sans had directed him elsewhere, insistent on having that space be reserved for him right now. It was another small thing that stuck out to her, perfectly overlookable perhaps, but the small sign of protectiveness in him was endearing to see.

He pressed close to her middle, playfully wrapping his arms around there as much as he could manage. She chuckled and rolled her eyes a bit at the cheesy display, but more so due to the cheeky look he was giving her than anything. She still slipped an arm around him, tucking him close to her as he rested his cheekbone against her stomach. As he no doubt sought out the little one's magic again, his jovial expression softened into something more reflective once more. Enough so that he eventually closed his eyes, moving his hand over the area as though to seek them out better.

It was a silly thing for him to do when she wasn't even showing yet, but the sentiment was still there all the same. She let her own eyes close, finding herself enjoying his touch paired with the low vibration of his voice.

"hey there kiddo, don't mind all our fussing. we'll figure this out." He said, maintaining his more sober tone for a few moments more until a soft chuckle ran through him. "if you're gonna be _our_ kid though, you better start getting used to all the puns now."

She heard him clear his metaphorical throat, and cracked one eye open to see him addressing the child within her with quite a endearing level of hamminess, silly hand gestures and all.

"say lil guy, how do you make a tissue dance?" He asked, pausing for dramatic tension as though truly expecting an answer.

While they couldn't reply verbally, obviously, Toriel did feel them stir a bit more inside her. It seemed they definitely enjoyed being in their father's close company. She waited to hear the punchline for Sans' joke, and imagined in her head the tiny soul within her doing the same.

"you put a little _boogie_ in it." Sans proudly finished, lightly poking a finger gun against her belly.

Toriel snorted and quickly fell into laughter, finding it even more hilarious than usual. Though when paired with her tiredness it only made her laughter seemed strained and delirious. When it finally trailed off, she found that Sans had moved back up to that he was lying close to her face again. Mirth shining his eyelights betrayed he'd been laughing as well, and his smile then all but wrapped up her soul in warmth. Once she was able to regain her composure, he ghosted a hand forward and slipped it through the fur on her cheek.

She blinked at him, only keeping her eyes half open. But even that became difficult as he moved his hand to her ear and began to stroke it carefully. He certainly remembered what she had said on the matter before, and used this known weakness of hers to get her to all but melt under his careful attention. She was sure she'd appreciate this even more in the months to come as she acquired all sorts of aches and succumbed to moments of emotional instability.

"now as for you…" Sans murmured, shifting in order to press one of his unique little kisses against the end of her muzzle, tickling the fine fur there. "sleep, get some rest, i know you're still real excited about this, but you need it."

He was certainly right about that. This whole experience would require her to sleep a lot more than she was used to. Back when she'd had Asriel, such a thing had been easier for her. But now… with her traumas having deeply affected her mind's ability to relax… it was no longer as simple a task for her. Though Sans, as if naturally projecting his own languorous nature, always seemed to be able to relax her, and had slowly returning her ability to maintain peaceful sleep.

Though after the events of the previous spring… there was still a part of her terrified to sleep, terrified that she'd become lost in forgotten memories once more and slip back into unconsciousness. It wasn't a logical fear, given that there was no reason for that to be possible, but the idea still had her lying awake uneasily for some time many nights since she'd returned from the hospital. And it was partially responsible for the excuse that rose up to escape her.

"But I need to be awake when Alphys co-" She attempted to get out, but the light touch of his bony hand against her muzzle prompted her to stop.

"that won't be until this afternoon." He gently reminded her, flashing a reassuring grin. "we got plenty of time. i'll set an alarm if you're worried."

With that, his left eyelight blazed briefly, and the grip of his magic tugged the blankets snugly over both of them and switched off the light.

"sleep." He urged her again, pulling her head close to his chest and stroking her ears again.

Pressed so close to him she could clearly feel his lingering stirred mixed emotions rolling within him like waves of a stormy sea. Yet he still managed to present himself as calm and collected for her sake. If she wasn't so tired, perhaps she would have addressed that, but even if she had she couldn't blame him. They both were likely to remain in the grips of shock over this for some time. Perhaps Alphys' machines allowing them to better visualize their child's form and wellbeing would make all this sink in more… but as it was they were going to have to take things as best as they could, moment by moment.

So she just offered him a sleepy smile, already feeling the small, but affecting drain on her magic taking its toll in full. There was little option to her then _but_ to sleep… and it was essential for the little one. And with Sans here beside her to soothe her, she was more confident in the possibility of peaceful sleep.

"Alright lazybones." She murmured, leaning forward a bit to nuzzle him sleepily. "I love you, Sans, and I am… excited beyond words to experience this with you."

He let out a yawn before replying, eyelights soft with his own sleepiness as he offered a warm smile.

"same here. it's gonna be a while before it all seems real, but this feels like the start of something great… really great." He replied, gaining a twinkle in his eyelights once more.

It seemed apparent to her he wanted to snuggle in close and tuck his skull in his favorite spot against her neck, but was holding back to ensure she fell asleep first. He watched her carefully through half lidded sockets, continually brushing his phalanges through the fur on her ears.

"i love you too tori." He murmured his response, before his eyelights drifted down in the direction of her stomach again. "and you too, lil guy."

She giggled at that, the sound weak from sleepiness, but still full of warmth. She brushed her paw over her stomach again, seeking out the feeling of the tiny soul's magic before allowing herself to loop both arms around her dear skeleton more snugly and settle into place with a contented sigh.

Her mind did buzz with thoughts briefly, trying to spin them into some grand worry or imagined terrible scenario. She had all the reason to be somewhat paranoid after all, as a mother who'd lost children so many times before. Most would agree this situation was one where her worrisome nature was most justified. And yet, focusing on Sans' breathing, the magic from his soul, and the faint sensation of the little one stirring within her, it all kept those thoughts at bay enough for her to begin to drift off.

That was further bolstered by the knowledge of the energy she'd need to get through this going forward, if she wanted to maintain any of her perceived respectability that is. Beyond fulfilling the basic needs of their child's soul as well as her own, she also needed to be rested and level headed when she told her children the big news upon their arrival from school.

After all, telling Sans the news was truly nothing compared to what the task of telling them would be. She'd known from the start that, no matter how shocked he was, this was something he'd agreed to and wanted to see happen. The children… knew nothing. She had been planning to ease them into the idea, introduce it slowly and give them time to process before officially making it clear what her intentions were. But that was impossible now. The deed was already done, and she couldn't very well hide it from them. They had to know, they _deserved_ to know, no matter how they may react. And while she was sure Frisk would be delighted based on things they've said in the past, there was every possibility that Chara and especially Asri-...Flowey… would not take it well at all.

All she could do right now was sleep, nurture their future sibling's growth, stabilize her own mind, and hope for the best.

As she drifted off, the little soul stirred faintly once more, filling her with a flicker of warm emotions as though sensing her unease. It made a soft smile appear on her face, even as she fell deeper into sleep. It made her last waking thoughts more confident towards the result of the looming discussion ahead.

" _I will make this work, precious one_." She thought, as though they could hear. " _I promise, I will do all I can to make your siblings understand… and see how wonderful you are going to be._ "

The little soul simply sent back its usual response, hardly discernible, but warm and contented. If Toriel hadn't knew better, she would have sworn she also felt a pulse of excitement from them to mirror her own.


	7. Fire and Ice

The soft click of clawed feet tapping their way across the tiled floor announced Alphys' arrival to the house. She was all swaddled up in a way that she was almost hard to recognize, with only her bespectacled eyes peering out over the brim of her scarf. Such was the requirement for a reptilian monster in this weather, Toriel supposed.

Along with her many layers, Alphys had brought with her the promised cart of equipment that would allow her to take a better look at the little soul. It too was covered by a thick tarp to protect all the delicate equipment inside from the weather. The snow had stopped falling by then, but one couldn't be too careful. The lizard monster pulled the cart into the living room and stood by the fireplace to warm up.

"H-Hi guys." She greeted Toriel and Sans cheerfully, starting to take off some of her layers of clothing in order to better address them. "U-Undyne is distracting the kids outside… and Papyrus left fr-from the school to go t-to his class at the c-college, so w-we should have some t-time for me to uh… t-take a better look at the little soul."

Toriel walked over and helped Alphys out of her thick coat, taking that along with the other articles of clothing that came off and hanging them on the back of a chair near the fireplace.

"Hello Alphys, thank you so much for coming." She greeted her warmly, folding and hanging the lizard monster's bright pink scarf. "Did the children behave themselves for you and Undyne?"

Alphys gave her a thankful look as she freed herself from the last coat, leaving her in an anime themed sweatshirt and sweatpants. Far more reasonable indoor attire, but still a bit garish in Toriel's eyes.

"Oh y-yes, they were all fine." She assured her, warming her scaly hands by the fire. "It w-was harder than I thought to not t-tell them the n-news though, ehehe."

Alphys stiffened a bit and looked over at Sans nervously, sweat beading on her forehead.

"I um… assume sh-she told you already… right?" She asked, with an uneasy smile.

Sans nodded, sitting up from his place on the couch with a somewhat dramatic groan of effort. One that made Toriel roll her eyes with an amused smile. When he did get himself upright, he offered his usual wide grin, though perhaps still with a bit of nerves still visible.

"yup…" He affirmed, giving Toriel a somewhat shy look and rubbing the back of his neck before a light blush colored his cheekbones. "or rather uh… she let me feel it for myself, heh."

Alphys relaxed at that, and her expression shifted to something more mischievous.

"D-did you uh... faint when you heard the news?" She asked, tapping her claws together in anticipation.

Sans quirked a brow ridge at that, and narrowed his sockets in suspicion.

"what, you make a bet with undyne or something?" He asked, slipping his hands into his hoodie pockets.

Alphys didn't answer directly, but the nasally giggle that escaped her basically gave away the answer. Sans' grin returned to its full strength and he leaned back before shooting her a wink.

"better cough up your money to your girlfriend then al" He said, tapping his thumb against his chest. "cuz i stayed very much awake."

Alphys let out a huff of playful disappointment, crossing her arms as Sans chuckled confidently. As if this somehow was an accomplishment worth being so proud of. Toriel couldn't help but tease him a bit, walking over to sit beside him before nudging him gently with her elbow.

"You did almost faint though." She reminded him with a knowing smile. "I would be lying to say I did not worry that may happen."

He blushed again at that, grumbling a bit as he pulled his hood over his head in embarrassment. It seemed he didn't have any defense to offer. She and Alphys both shared a soft bit of laughter at his expense, but Toriel was sure to wrap an arm around him as a sort of apology, giving him a little squeeze.

"But I would say the news went over well enough, did it not?" She asked him in a far gentler tone, her scarlet eyes beseeching his own soft white eyelights to meet them.

They did without much delay, and he softened right up again. He leaned against her with a soft sigh, regaining his smile beneath the shadow of his hood.

"yah… yah it did." He said, voice taking on a more emotional tone. "its crazy… but really really great."

Alphys smiled at the two of them from where she stood, gaining a much softer expression as well. Her eyes sparkled as they had back at the school, as the joy of the situation once again set in.

"W-well, congrats to you as w-well then! I h-have to say i'm surprised but, I think this will be really g-good for you too Sans." She said, clasping her hands together. "Oh g-gosh, this is a more dr-dramatic romantic twist than any of m-my fanfics."

Sans and Toriel both blinked at that, sharing a confused look before looking back at the lizard monster with more uncertain smiles.

"uh... thanks al. i think." Sans replied.

Alphys didn't seem to catch on to any confusion from them though, or simply chose to ignore it as she walked over to pull the tarp off of her cart. It revealed many pieces of technological equipment, many of which Toriel recognized from that night Sans had taken her to Alphys' shed. Their shiny surfaces caught the flickering firelight, making them seem a touch more ominous.

There was still a part of Toriel that was uncomfortable being around such things, not helped by how her mind now related them to her time in the hospital. But she knew this was what would be the best to check on the little one's well being, and would continue to be going forward. She would just have to get used to it.

She felt Sans' hand move to take her paw, giving it a comforting squeeze. It was a little embarrassing to realize that he could sense her unease enough to find that necessary, but the still returned the gesture and offered him a thankful smile in return. He kept his hand in place as she got more situated for Alphys' examination. The lizard monster fiddled with a few knobs and buttons on the various devices, and finally selected one to pull out first.

It was a collection of cords topped with suction cup looking attachments that were rather familiar, resembling the ones Sans had used on her that night. But there were differences to be seen. These were thinner and silver in color, and they were hooked up to not a large box like machine, but a rather high tech looking screen with a panel of brightly glowing buttons and dials. Almost like an over complicated television set. Toriel eyed it all warily, but kept calm inside thanks to Sans' silent reassurance, and just his being there beside her.

"So I'm gonna place these over your chest and stomach area, and they will attach and stay in place automatically." Alphys explained, tapping the rim of the device as she spoke. "It will let me see how the little soul is doing on this screen, and I'll be sure to let you see them too."

Toriel was struck with a sense of deja vu, and the slight humor that came with that distracted her enough to not flinch or stiffen up too much when Alphys approached and got the two cups of the device into place. Toriel looked down at them uneasily once they were affixed, lightly tapping one of the cords with a claw. Even with her minor discomfort though, she looked at her dear skeleton with a small grin.

"Hmm, this sure seems familiar." She noted, quirking a brow at him.

From the resulting look on his face, as well as the way he glanced nervously at Alphys, Toriel could hazard a guess that he hadn't fully informed her of how he'd "borrowed" the equipment in her shed that night during the previous spring. Her suspicions were confirmed when Alphys made a questioning sound as she continued getting her equipment set up, and Sans quickly played off Toriel's comment as something related to her time in the hospital. It made her wonder where he had told Alphys he got that readout on her condition from.

Toriel considered spilling the beans on the little secret outing, but judging by Alphys' suspicious look, it seemed likely he was going to have to answer for it soon enough. Whatever the lizard monster had or had not picked up on, she left the subject be for the moment, instead offering up a different topic of discussion as she continued working to get her equipment set up.

"I've got to ask th-though Sans." Alphys said, carefully turning a knob and watching a digital readout in the corner of the screen. "You sleep next to Toriel a-all the time, and are always h-hugging her and stuff, how did you not s-sense the souling's magic before now? It should have been at least a little d-detectable for the past week. Toriel was i-inevitably just going to think she was s-sick, but i'm surprised you d-didn't notice anything."

Sans blinked in surprise, glancing over at Toriel's middle for a moment before his expression shifted to appear puzzled.

"well uh… i'm not too sure to be honest. you have a point." He admitted, tapping a phalange thoughtfully against his chin. "guess it could be that i'm just dense heh, though tori seems to think the little guy was sending out stronger magic once they were acknowledged, recognized, what have you. so it could be it just wasn't enough for me to notice up until now."

Alphys didn't turn to face them, but hummed thoughtfully at that notion. Before she could offer up any sort of thought as to why that could be, the screen suddenly flickered to life. It showed all black save for a blurry speck of gray in the middle, all surrounded by text and numbers that changed continuously from their places at the edges. Alphys tail gave a little wave of satisfaction as she turned one of the knobs a few more times.

They all watched as slowly, the blurry speck on the screen became more and more defined. Like a jewel at the bottom of a churned up pond steadily coming into view as the waters cleared. Eventually, what could be seen was a tiny upside down heart, brilliant silver, floating languidly there in the darkness.

Toriel felt her breath catch in her throat a bit, and she felt Sans stiffen in reaction beside her as well. She'd never seen something like this done, allowing a child's soul to be visible before birth. Modern technology would continue to vex her surely, but this was proof there was indeed a great deal of good to be found in it as well.

"Is that... them?" She asked Alphys once the shock had waned.

Alphys nodded, turning to face them and stand beside the machine. Even she looked a little mystified at the sight, amber eyes sparkling, despite it likely not being anything new to the former royal scientist.

"Y-yup, that's the souling." She confirmed cheerfully, reaching to move another knob on the edge of the device. "And the bigger soul you can see when I zoom out a bit is your own soul Toriel."

The screen did just that, and once it had focused again it revealed a far larger upside down heart, completely dwarfing the tiny one far below it. It made it clear just how small the little soul really was. Toriel's paw wanted instinctively to go to her stomach, but remembrance of the device attached to her had her draw it back. So instead she just had to settle for staring at the screen, all but imprinting what she was seeing on her very soul.

"heh… wow…" Sans finally spoke up from beside her, voice unsteady with similar emotion. "they're… so tiny."

Toriel finally broke her gaze from the screen to smile down at him, feeling her eyes threatening to water all over again.

"Indeed, it is hard to imagine that a soul so small already has such strong magic, is it not?" She noted, leaning into Sans more before looking back at the image of their child's soul. "They are so beautiful... look at how they seem to shine."

Sans chuckled, and it was another breathless little sound of bewilderment and happiness. It was soft, subtle, but the magic radiating off of him like warmth from a gentle flame displayed the true emotional impact this was having on him. They stayed entranced by the sight for some time, and though Alphys was obviously eager to start telling them about what they were seeing, she still gave them that time to take in that first glimpse of their future child. If all this didn't feel real before, that notion would have little chance of standing up to this.

Sans was the first one to speak up again, sounding reluctant to get the words out and fidgeting with his hoodie drawstring nervously. The shift in emotions she felt from him had her predicting what he may ask before the words left him.

"al…" he said the lizard monster's name quietly, gaining her attention. "the little guy's soul… it's not… _cracked_ at all… is it?"

Toriel and Alphys both blinked at him in surprise at that. Toriel had suspected he'd ask something about the soul's condition, in light of what he had admitted to her back in their room earlier. But she hadn't expected him to ask something so direct… though the reason as to why made an ache for him grip her soul. She could only imagine how devastated he'd feel if their child's soul bore the same scars as his did.

The cracks in his soul had long since stopped being anything beyond potential eyesores, but at the beginning of his life it had been an entirely different story. It was an enduring reminder of the cruel, twisted practices that had brought him into the world, one that no healing magic could ever hope to fully cleanse him of. As he waited for an answer, rigid with dread, she took over the role of soothing him as best she could. She had assured him that the little soul felt strong, and she stood by that, but she too felt herself grow stiff with anxiety as Alphys zoomed back on to the soul and was carefully looking it over. The next few moments were heavy, and nobody moved.

"No, not that I can see." Alphys said at last, perking right back up again. "Their soul appears normal, and they s-seem to be quite healthy and stable."

A palpable wave of relief swept over the room, and both she and Sans seemed to exhale at the same time in unison. After sharing a soft laugh at that, they hugged by instinct for a few moments, just so glad to have that great unknown no longer looming over them. Their child wasn't totally out of the woods of potentially negative health influences down the line, but she knew how important it was to Sans that the little one was in fact not afflicted in any obvious way by his magic's part in bringing about their creation.

Once she and Sans gave Alphys their attention again, the lizard monster waved Sans over to take a look at the data at the edges of the screen. Toriel simply watched, unable to even begin to make sense of what those that rapid fire numbers meant.

"See? All the readings i'm picking up are looking good. N-nothing I'd see as concerning. Toriel's right about them being strong though, that's to be expected given that they are part boss monster." Alphys reiterated with a bright smile, laying a supportive hand on Sans' back.

The skeleton's eyelights continued to scan the data, almost feverishly. But when he turned back to face Alphys, gratitude and relief had managed to result in some tears gathering at the edge of his sockets.

"that's…" He stammered out before better composing his voice. "that's really great to hear. i w-was uh… a little worried that y'know… being what i am might have had some sort of bad e-effect on them."

Alphys gave his back a rub, expression warm with understanding. In that moment, it was easy to see how the two of them had once been such close friends, as depicted in that photo album Toriel had convinced Sans to save from the destruction of his old lab. It was heartwarming to see they were steadily working to repair that bond. It clearly brought Alphys a lot of joy to do something like this for her old friend.

"W-well, it doesn't look that way to me." The lizard monster said confidently, even with her stutter. "Honestly i'm n-not even sure what was d-done to you could be passed on to them in any s-significant way. It helps that Toriel's m-magic would likely offset anything like that w-with how naturally strong it is anyway. I'd w-wonder more about how much of the baby may be sk-skeletal like you, rather than any adverse effects."

Sans chuckled weakly at that, and swept his sleeve over his sockets. After which he thanked her again, more quietly, and let her pull him into a hug, one that included Alphys' thick tail. It was obvious that Alphys was all but holding Sans up through it too, as the skeleton had gone more than a little wobbly from relief. Toriel waited until the two separated and Sans had shakily returned to her side before she asked the former royal scientist another question, still finding it hard to keep her eyes off the wonderful image on the screen.

"Regarding what you said Alphys… would you have any idea of what sort of timeframe we may be expecting before this child arrives?" She asked, mind already trying to discern the answer. "I know how long I carried Asriel, but seeing as it is highly likely this child will have some skeletal features, I imagine we may not have as much time to prepare."

Alphys' smile turned a bit nervous, and she tapped her claws together in an anxious little motion.

"I'm n-not really trained to predict something like that, a-and i'm no expert." She admitted with an awkward little laugh. "But, I c-can give you my best estimate. Just d-don't uh… rely too much on it. And get a s-second opinion at some point if y-you can."

The lizard monster then cleared her throat and picked up a notepad from the cart. She scribbled down some things quickly, tapping the end of the pencil against her chin occasionally.

"B-Based on… both of your species… and the c-current size of the soul..." She said as she appeared to be finishing up her calculation. "Ah, I would e-estimate a delivery date around six months fr-from now. Seven in total if you count the o-one that has uh… already passed ehehe."

Toriel and Sans both blinked at her with wide eyes. That date was far sooner than Toriel was expecting to hear. But with all the factors at play here, perhaps this was something she have more readily expected.

"Goodness… six months..." Toriel stammered out, mind racing. "That… that does sounds about right I suppose."

She shared a somewhat bewildered glance with Sans before continuing, noting how much he was suddenly sweating.

"I carried Asriel for around nine months, but if this child has skeletal properties… I can imagine it would take less time for their form to develop." She reasoned aloud, more for her own sake and Sans' than anything else.

Across from them, Alphys nodded thoughtfully, slipping into that mindset that Toriel sometimes noticed in her when she substituted at her school. The mindset that displayed the lizard monster's enduring passion for science and sharing her knowledge.

"Skeletons c-can have pregnancies as sh-short as three months." She explained further, tail drifting back and forth over the carpet as it moved in tandem with her mind working. "Given that there is so little mass to d-develop, it really is a short process. And in their c-case they uh… only carry the soul itself of course, until its ready to s-separate and form on its own. A lot like ghosts and other m-monsters without more um… standard anatomy ehehe. According to what I have r-read on the subject from pre-war records at least. Looking into this sort of thing used to be um… pr-pretty important to my research into the nature of souls."

Mentioning that brought some discomfort and nervousness back to her voice, no doubt having dredged up some less than pleasant memories. She didn't linger on it though, and she and Toriel both looked over at Sans, who had been rather quiet since the potential time they had before this child was born had been laid out. But it seemed Alphys' mention of how his kind differed from her own in the terms of how they are brought into the world and how long that process took, was what was currently occupying his mind. His expression was odd as he pondered it, and it took him a moment to reply.

"huh... didn't know that. about how long it took for skeletons i mean. guess it makes sense." He said in a quieter, more subdued tone. "makes me wonder how long the doc had me and pap cooking in those chambers for…"

He remained caught up in those thoughts for a few moments, but not long enough for Toriel or Alphys to say something about it. He slowly regained his usual, if quite nervous, smile and changed the subject back to what was important.

"but anyway, six months? geez… that's both a long time and no time at all." He mused, eyelights shimmering and wavering in thought. "if that's the case, they'll be here by august, just at the end of summer..."

Toriel mirrored his reaction, picturing how the rather brief timeframe would end up playing out. This did escalate the urgency of a lot of what they were going to need to get done, no doubt. Her mind wanted to map out a detailed list and plan in an excited rush, but Toriel forced herself to stay focused on Alphys, who clearly had more to say.

"Well uh… d-don't put too much stock in this." Alphys insisted, waving her hands with a nervous grin. "It's only an educated guess at best. I could be wrong after all, since I don't think a monster child of this kind has ever been born before."

Toriel nodded, and Alphys turned back to the device for a moment to let her and Sans digest that idea. Toriel had lived a very long time and seen many things, but she had never seen another boss monster take on a partner outside their own kind. Indeed, in the days of old before the war, there was an unspoken tradition that monsters stayed within their general species. Rabbit monsters with rabbit monsters, imps with imps, ghosts with ghosts, and other potentially endless combinations. Hybrid monsters were often seen as outsiders who didn't have a definite place with the communities of individual species they partially came from.

It was a terribly silly thing in hindsight, as the supposed great royal species of boss monsters like Toriel herself and many, many other so called "species" of monster were technically hybrids as well. Yet the stigma among the common monsters persisted all the way up until the war's beginning. There was no danger to different monster kinds having children together, and there never had been. So how such an idea had ever been allowed to take root was beyond her.

For a boss monster like herself though, bred to be royalty, the idea of pursuing a partner beyond the one chosen for her of her own species would have been even more blasphemous. There hadn't been a set law for such things, and there _were_ a good deal of monsters who broke tradition even back then, but there was definite societal pressure to stay with your own kind. The loss of that harmful mindset was one of the small positives that came out of monsterkind's imprisonment. As their numbers dwindled, some species of monsters died off entirely and monsters had to rely on each other more than ever, no matter their species. That misguided idea of sticking to one's own kind largely fell away beyond a few traditionalists who still stubbornly held onto the idea. Though few would argue the means of losing that harmful mindset was worth it in any sense.

It made her wonder once again how her mother, one of those who would be most appalled by her current life choices, would react to the news of her pregnancy. The old scarred boss monster probably wouldn't be as angry about her being with Sans as she would about her taking in human children the way she had, but Toriel could imagine she'd still be deeply enraged. A bitter part of Toriel did in fact wish that her mother was there to see how well she was doing for herself, partially just to spite her. But another part wished, as Toriel had when she'd first had Asriel, that her mother could see her grandchildren and witness how wonderful they truly were. Maybe that… would have been enough to soften her icy soul, even if just a little.

Toriel was pulled from her musing by Alphys, who had picked up a small stack of papers that had apparently printed out of another device that was hooked up to the screen. She tapped them against the cart to straighten them before speaking.

"Okay so i've captured the data readouts, which i'll let you h-hold on to Sans. Take a l-look at them and I'm sure they'll help ease y-your mind about how the souling is d-doing." She said, handing the papers to Sans. "In general, they look to be d-developing very well. Their magic levels are strong, th-their form is stable, and they are at a h-healthy size for this stage. That's about the extent of what I can t-tell you though."

Toriel nodded her understanding and carefully detached the device's scanners from her, careful not to let them tug at her fur as they were removed. As she did, Sans took the papers from Alphys and skimmed over the top one with focused eyelights for a few moments. What he saw at a glance must have confirmed Alphys' statement, for she could see some tension leave him in those moments. She supposed for a monster like him, seeing the proof in hard numbers could be the greatest assurance.

"thanks al…" Sans said, looking up at the lizard monster with a somewhat sheepish smile. "sorry for all the dramatics before, i'm… i'm just real glad the lil guy seems to be okay. got myself pretty worked up worrying for a while there, heh."

Alphys and Toriel both smiled at him, glad he seemed to be more fully accepting what he had been told and shown, that the little soul wasn't in a bad way because of his influence. Hopefully going forward without that weighing on him, he could start to feel more confident about this.

"Y-You're welcome Sans." Alphys replied, her tail starting to swish a little behind her again "D-don't worry about it. I'm happy I could help, and I am just r-really happy in general for y-you both… This is so e-exciting!"

After a moment, it seemed she remembered something, quickly cleared her throat and tried to appear somewhat professional again.

"Of c-course, you should make s-sure to go see an actual doctor who sp-specializes in this s-sort of thing soon. They will be able to do a l-lot more for you. And give you b-better advice on how best to g-get through this."

The recommendation had a note of finality to it, and Toriel took that as her cue to get up and give Alphys a proper thank you for all her help. Her soul was buzzing with gratitude and happiness as to what Alphys had been so kind as to show them, but she didn't want to make as much of a scene of thanking her as she had back at the school.

"I will, my friend." Toriel vowed, leaning down to give the lizard monster a politely light, but heartfelt hug. "Thank you so much for coming, I think it is fair to say you have granted us both far greater peace of mind about all this."

Alphys chuckled in her usual slightly shy way and returned the hug. Toriel continued to wonder though why the lizard monster was always left looking a bit flustered after such a thing with either her or Asgore. Whatever the case, she recovered quickly enough and returned to being cheery over the situation.

"N-no problem! F-feel free to call if I can help with anything else." She offered, before starting to pack her things back onto the cart.

Sans moved to assist her and Toriel thought about doing the same, but she feared damaging anything with her large clumsy paws, so she just let the two former labmates handle the task. The lizard monster politely turned down the offer to stay and have a hot drink, insisting she didn't want to delay what inevitably needed to be done... sharing the news with the children. Once everything was settled and Alphys had rebundled herself up, Toriel and Sans walked her to the door, where her Sans gave her a more proper goodbye. Which in his case was simply a wink and an accompanying "later al."

Once the lizard monster had left, a weighted silence formed between Toriel and her dear skeleton, full of joy and relief but also heavy with what was to come. They could rest easy knowing the little soul was developing well and was doing fine, but there was not as much time as either of them had expected to prepare for their arrival, and there was still the task of telling the children lying ahead, as well as everyone else. No matter how good the news, It was a lot to suddenly have thrust upon them in one day, and there was much to do be done before they could properly move forward with everything.

Toriel felt another uncomfortable shift in her magic from the sudden nerves. But as before, she sought out the magic from the little soul within her, and feeling their presence there solidified her resolve once more. She took a deep breath and look towards the door, preparing to announce her intentions to Sans. But he spoke first, gently laying a hand against her arm to gain her attention.

"guess you're gonna want to tell the kiddos the big news, huh?" He said, eyelights wavering nervously. "are you sure you still want to do this alone? i can come withya, y'know."

Toriel smiled down at him but shook her head, the weight in her eyes enduring.

"I appreciate the offer, my dear. Truly." She assured him, before her expression sobered a little. "But I think it will be easiest for them if I am the one to tell them, they will probably be more inclined to speak openly about how they feel that way."

Sans looked for a moment like he wanted to protest, but the reasoning behind the response sunk in and he nodded his acceptance. Though a hint of reluctance was still there. Toriel reached over to lay a paw on his shoulder and give it a small squeeze.

"Though I believe you should have a talk with them too eventually, if you feel you would be up for it." She advised, gently. "I think that would be good for all of you going forward."

Sans blinked at that, clearly not expecting it, and his eyelights drifted downwards as the shadows of old pain dulled them. Even now, it often wasn't an easy task for Sans to be at ease around her children, especially Flowey and Chara. Though things had begun to mend as a whole for the lot of them, the scars of what her children had inflicted on him on all those timelines, quite literally in his case, still ran deep.

They all could recall now the horrible memories of suffering, torment, and even their own demises at the hands of said children, if they chose to dwell on them enough to allow the to be recalled. But for much of them, it still felt like a distant nightmare… rather than actual events they had gone through. Sans, having had his previous protective walls of apathy torn down, was understandably taking a lot longer to work through his conflicting feelings regarding her children and what they had put him through.

He wasn't like what she had been, and still was to a certain degree, holding grudges to the point they became unhealthy and harmful to those around him. Sans had a remarkable capacity for forgiveness and compassion for her children despite what they had done to him. He was willing to put the past aside and recognize that the evil he'd witnessed from them didn't represent who they truly were. That wasn't as easy or definitive as he tried to make it out to be. So she knew what she was asking of him would be more difficult than he would admit.

"right... i'll keep that in mind." He replied quietly, before offering her a reassuring smile and wink. "heh, well then… good luck. and don't worry too much if they don't take to the idea right away. this is gonna be a doozy for them, but i think they'll come around. the red souled duo at least, and probably even flowey given some time."

His words brought a stronger smile to her face, as his casual reasoning once again managed to alleviate her worries a bit.

"Funny, I was about to say just about the same to try and reassure you." She said with a light giggle before giving his shoulder another heartfelt squeeze. "Thank you, love. I will do my best. Whatever happens, I know we will figure this out together."

That seemed to help him relax as well, as he returned to his usual posture with his hands in his pockets. His eyelights shimmered a little more brightly then as they moved to look at her stomach.

"yah." He agreed with a wider grin. "for the lil babybones."

She blinked at the term, not expecting it. She suspected she'd heard it from him before, but had never given it much thought until now. It was really quite a cute moniker to be applying to the little soul. Amusement must have been shining in her eyes for he quickly looked a bit embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck with a weak chuckle.

"uh... sorry… that's just something we skeletons say." He explained, pausing for a long moment before continuing. "and by that i mean... i say it."

The addition only made a much stronger laugh escape her, one that threatened to push her emotions through another shift into something not at all conducive to the important discussion she was about to have. Being aware of it though, she was able to maintain some control of that, and the laughter did chase away a little more stress from her soul. The little one's soul also seemed to react positively, prompting Toriel to lay her paw there instinctively.

"Well I like it very much." She assured him, still trying to keep her giggling under control. "Knowing us, this child will likely attain more nicknames than they know what to do with even before they are born. I think that one is a delightful addition."

Sans chuckled and looked happy that the nickname had her approval. Already it was making his eyelights shimmer a bit again, and she felt badly she couldn't stay and slip back into joy over all this again. She would have loved to discuss further on other cutesy, silly things they'd likely call their child as they continued to grow, especially any that happened to be puns. But she had to refocus on the task at hand. Steeling herself as best she could, she turned back towards the door.

"I am going to get this taken care of." She said, her voice gaining back some of its old royal seriousness. "I may be a while… depending on how it goes with them."

Her dear skeleton caught on to the tonal shift and he returned his hands to his hoodie pockets as his own expression sobered up some. But he was still making an effort to look encouraging and confident for her sake, which she appreciated.

"k, that's fine tori." He replied, before taking a step back towards the living room. "if you need me, shoot me a text. i'll stay out of the way and maybe take an oh so rare and wonderful second nap until pap gets here. gotta enjoy stuff like that while i still can, right?"

He ended the comment with a wink, and she almost lost herself to his humor again, but she managed to hold firm with only a snort and small smile. She wanted to make a remark about how he had just woken up from a nap not too long ago, but such things were all too par the course for him. And he had a point… once the baby was here, neither he or she would be getting much sleep for a long time. Especially if they turned out to be anything like Asriel had been.

She gave Sans a nod in response and watched as he took another step before vanishing with a familiar flash and soft crackling sound. Left alone, she put on her winter garments that were hanging on the coat rack. Her naturally insulating fur typically was good at keeping her warm and the snow had stopped falling outside, but one couldn't be too careful. After all, no matter how rare it was for a monster like her, she couldn't risk falling ill now.

She rested her paw on the door handle and allowed herself to cast her memories back to those times when Asriel was just a little cub, tiny and precious… but surprisingly loud for such a little thing, mewling and bleating for just about any reason day and night. The recollections stirred such deep maternal warmth and love in her, and she was sure those were the feelings she needed to hold to to get through the task looming ahead of her.

After one final steadying breath, she opened the door and stepped out into the chilly winter air.

As Toriel trudged through the thick snow, leaving large pawprints in her wake, her powerful ears caught the sound of Undyne and the children playing on the embankment to the side of the house. When she got to where she could see them, she smiled and paused a moment to take in the scene. The children had built themselves a snow fort, and were hiding inside from the rather oversized snowballs Undyne was launching at them.

Frisk kept peeking their head out of the little windows, goading Undyne into aiming for them, then ducking inside with a flurry of giggles as the snowball came hurling their way. Flowey was visible at points as well, perched in his usual spot on Frisk's shoulder and giving them what she could only assume was "battle" advice.

The only one who was missing was Alphys, but a quick scan of her surroundings revealed the lizard monster's footprints as well as the tracks left by her cart leading to the couple's shared car at the end of the driveway. While her girlfriend seemed quite comfortable out in the cold, poor Alphys still appeared to be quite sensitive to it, staying bundled up even inside the car with the heater on.

Toriel smiled sympathetically, feeling further reason to relieve Undyne of the duty of watching the children so she could drive poor Alphys home where she could warm up more properly. She took a step down the embankment and Undyne finally took sight of her, just as she was about to dump what seemed to be an impossible amount of snow on top of the children's fort. Toriel was suddenly glad she had come out when she did. She trusted Undyne… but her ways of having fun still caused Toriel stress every time she witnessed them. Must they always be so… extreme?

Undyne, likely seeing some sign of Toriel's motherly instincts kicking in, dropped the snow beside the fort with a loud thunk. She drew herself up then and rubbed the back of her neck with a somewhat sheepish smile. She held up a webbed finger to indicate to give her a moment, then knelt down to stick her head into the window of the little snow fort. Toriel could hear Frisk's gleeful giggling, and Flowey's frantic demands to pelt their invader with as much snow as possible. But Undyne spoke up before that could happen.

"Alright punks, your Mom's here. It's been fun, but I gotta head out before I freeze my fins off." She said, flashing them a massive toothy grin as she backed up. "I'll see ya both tomorrow in gym class! Consider all that as practice for dodgeball! Fuhuhuhu!"

The children both let out sounds of disappointment, and Toriel thought she heard a third voice mixed in there as well. She continued making her way over until she standing by the fort, smiling at the rather adorable feat of craftsmanship. Undyne passed her on her way back to her car, and gave her an excited wink before hurrying off. Toriel offered her a thanks that may have went unheard and a wave goodbye, wishing she could be that energized and confident about this as the fish monster was. Clearly it hadn't occurred to Undyne how potentially badly her children could take this revelation.

She turned around to see Frisk crawling out of the fort, looking up at her with a smile despite her having put an end to their fun. No wait, she could see scarlet in those irises. Chara dusted the snow off themself and the still grumbling Flowey before stepping over to her.

"Hi Mom." They greeted her, before their expression shifted a bit into something akin to concern. "What's up…?"

Toriel blinked. Was her nervousness really that plain to see? Perhaps the little soul's influence on her magic was unsettling her more than she realized. On top of the expected unease of the situation. Still, she had resolved to do this, and there was no backing out of it now. She cleared her throat and did her best to put up an expression that was both gentle but serious.

"Children…" She said, looking intently between the two sets of eyes before her. "There is something I need to tell you all. Something very important."

That struck both Chara and Flowey silent, and they looked up at her with expectant and confused eyes. She could tell they weren't sure whether to expect this to lead into some joke or prank, or if she was as serious as she seemed. Oh how Toriel wished the oncoming conversation could be something as easy and fun as a prank, something that they could accept and be happy about with ease. But there was no way of knowing for sure how they'd react.

"Would you like to go inside where it is warm to talk?" She continued, offering her paw out to them as was their beloved tradition.

But Flowey spoke quickly, clearly wanting to try and preserve the fun he and his siblings had been having.

"Nah, its fine out here." He said flatly, curling his vines tighter around Chara's arm. "Just spit it out, I want to get back to putting snowballs down Chara's coat."

His tone of voice and choice of words got him "the look" right quickly, and he shrank down into Chara's hood a bit with more irritable grumbles. Toriel waited, going through the normal routine with him. He knew that he had to apologize, and that if he didn't, he wasn't going to be allowed to do anything fun until he did, or explained his behavior. Flowey was used to this though, and didn't want to risk having his beloved video game or excursions with Frisk barred from him. So after a bit of stubbornness, he grumbled out an apology, and the conversation was allowed to continue.

"We can talk Mom, but I think I'd rather stay out here." Chara said, happily scuffing their boots through the snow. "The snow is so awesome right now."

Toriel was a bit surprised by that, and her brows knit together in concern. Both for the children in front of her, and the one growing within her.

"But you will get cold, will you not?" She asked, anxiously shifting a little where she stood. "You both have already been out here for some time."

Chara's grin widened as they brushed some missed snow off of their shoulder and then flicked some of it at their brother.

"I like the cold actually." They said, ignoring the way Flowey glowered at them and looking up at the gray sky above. "Really makes you feel… alive."

Toriel blinked, uncertainty gripping her. Surely she should be getting them all where it was warm. She was well insulated with her fur but… it still didn't feel right to be subjecting herself to prolonged exposure to the cold in her condition. Nor did the children really need to be out in it this long either. But it seemed both of them were pretty set on staying outside, and she didn't want them to go into this conversation grumpy from having been forced inside. She also didn't want to arouse any potential suspicion just yet, so she settled on a compromise.

"Alright then, but I am going to insist you let me keep some fire magic around us while we talk. I do not want either of you catching a chill." She said, crossing her arms before tilting her head a bit. "Is Frisk okay with this?"

Chara smirked and nodded, eyes going a little unfocused for a moment as they seemed to be listening to what the other child was saying. Silent words that no one but Chara could hear.

"Yeah, they are a little worried about what you are going to say and all, but they're in." Chara confirmed, eyes returning to clear, deep, crimson. "And don't worry, Frisk can't really feel too much of the cold when I'm in control."

Their smile dulled then, falling to something more nervous. They scuffed at the snow again with their boot, in a more subdued manner this time.

"What uh… do you want to tell us?" They asked, undoubtedly catching onto something telling in her expression.

She decided not to bother preventing the weight of the news from being shown on her face. Joy shone in her eyes, but so did fear and uncertainty. She kept up a warm smile all the while though.

"It is important… and may come as a great shock." She admitted, crossing her paws neatly in front of her. "But I hope that in the end, it is something we all can be happy about. Something that will be a source of joy for all of us."

She held out her paw to them again, silently entreating them to allow her to guide the way, to trust her. Chara and Flowey shared a brief look of confusion, but eventually simply shrugged their shoulders and laid their small hand in her paw.

She walked with her children, gently leading them in a way that always stirred up memories for her. Her unstable emotional state threatened to make itself known again, but she was again able to hold firm against it. She couldn't allow anything like that until they knew.

Her destination of choice for this talk would be a place that had quickly become dear to them all for one reason or another. The old willow tree, a place of refuge and quiet, as well as a place of calm to contrast the greatly shocking revelations that often took place beneath its leafy tendrils. Though its branches were barren this time of year, the feelings that accompanied the old tree remained. Toriel was sure they would all need a little extra sense of peace, depending on how the children reacted to the news that they would soon be big siblings.

How exactly each of them would take the news was anyone's guess, and she mentally prepared herself for the worst. But she would hold onto the hope that, as she believed deep down, having the chance to help raise this new little monster would be a positive experience for all of them. A massive new shift in their lives that further marked this timeline as their last, after reliving the same sequence for so long.

This little soul dwelling inside her was a bright symbol of the future. But for her children, the future and such permanent change wasn't something they easily knew how to face. No matter their initial reactions… it would no doubt take time for them to adjust to this.

She blinked, realizing they had already arrived at the leafless willow, its bare branches reaching up to the sky then back down towards the earth like long curled claws. Yet its general aura was still welcoming, like that of an old friend. She gently released Chara's hand once they arrived at the usual spot at its base. As her child got comfortable, Toriel took a deep breath and summoned out a few pale purple flame attacks on the exhale. She had them encircle the area, giving off a warmth that would hopefully keep any potential negative effects of prolonged time out here in the cold at bay.

"So what's up Mom?" Chara asked anxiously as Toriel moved to sit down beside them. "You're making me nervous. Did you do something illegal?"

The accusation made Toriel sputter a bit and she looked at them with a disapproving expression.

"No, Chara." She sighed before quirking an eyebrow at them. "Why is _that_ your first instinct, my child?"

Her child just laughed at that, earning a groan from their brother from his place nestled in Chara's hood. She decided pursuing the answer wasn't pertinent at the moment and let the matter drop in favor of getting on with had to be done.

"Anyway, the important thing I wished to discuss with you..." Toriel began, drawing in her legs to sit more formally. "I implore you to try and keep an open mind, but I will not fault you if you are upset or even angry from what I am about to tell you."

Chara had stopped laughing, and both of the children she'd once lost looked up at her expectantly. Toriel had gone over how she wanted to say this a few times over the course of the day, trying to find the best way to ease them into the idea as much as possible None of it was refined and would surely get thrown off course, but she was glad to have something of an idea of where to start. With a question of her own.

"Children, you… you are aware of how boss monster immortality works, are you not?" She asked, setting her crossed paws in her lap.

Both children simply nodded, quite familiar with the concept. Toriel cleared her throat against a knot of unease that had formed before she continued.

"Well… I am sure you know that I have been immortal ever since... that terrible day you two left the Underground and were attacked by those humans… and it seems that even though you have returned to us…" She paused, looking out towards the ring of soft purple flame attacks around them. "Me and your father still do not age."

Her children looked at one another, clearly trying to piece together where this was going. Chara in particular hummed in thought, looking down at the hands of the body they were puppeting. Flowey too touched a vine to his petals before a more dour expression crossed his features.

"I guess me and Flowey are sort of immortal too right?" Chara asked, turning their scarlet eyes back up at her. "Or well… maybe not immortal, but I don't think we are exactly aging normally... I guess I'll kind of age as Frisk does… so long as I stay stuck in here that is."

Chara then focused on their brother, looking him over appraisingly. Flowey shrank back deeper into their hood with an irritated grumble in response.

"As for you bro, I don't think you ever let a timeline run long enough that you aged, right?"

Flowey's petals twitched and his green eyes narrowed in thought. It was impossible for Toriel not to silently acknowledge he was still wearing the face of his old self, of who he had been before he died. He… had been using that face a lot recently. She wasn't fully sure if that was a good sign or not, or what it truly meant in the grand scheme of things, but it certainly made it more difficult to avoid slipping up and calling him that old beloved name on occasion.

Flowey seemed to have come to his own conclusion on the matter at hand, and so Toriel pulled herself from her wayward thoughts to listen.

"Well… now that Frisk has stopped resetting… I guess it's possible that I'm aging, I dunno." He said uncertainly, before looking back at Toriel. "But if my connection to you and dad is severed, does that mean I can't age either?"

Toriel blinked at the question, not at all seeing it coming. This was not how she imagined this conversation going, but this was a question that she hadn't given thought to before. For so long she thought her son dead and the only thoughts towards the of immortality were directed towards herself and Asgore. But… Flowey was alive, and had been for a long time. From Sans' stories, she knew he had been a child or at least in a child-like state of throughout it all. Had he also been cursed to immortality all this time? The idea made her soul feel chilled, and the little one's soul sent another uncomfortable shift of magic through her.

"That… is a good question actually." Toriel replied, tapping a claw against her chin nervously in thought. "I did not consider it… It does fit with what I have always been told of our kind. That our children age as we do. I have never heard of a case of a boss monster child losing their parents and becoming ageless…"

Flowey seemed confused as her level of concern, regarding her with his head tilted a bit. He righted it again as he began to speak once more.

"Well since I'm not exactly a pure boss monster anymore, I guess we'll just have to wait and see." He reasoned dismissively, as though discussing something as mundane as watching grass grow. "Maybe being in this flower body will let me age as time goes on, maybe it won't. Who knows? Personally I don't really care. I'm not too keen on seeing what happens to something that dies without a soul after all."

Both Toriel and Chara winced a bit at that. Toriel was about to give him something of a lecture like reminder, but Chara seemed to have it covered. And as much as the two of them tended to bicker and tease one another, they had a close enough bond that Toriel felt it would be better to let Chara do the talking.

"Cmon Azzy, we established you probably do have something of a soul. Or at least will have one someday." They reminded him, plucking him out of the hood and holding his small form in their hands. "Alphys said you have that... concentration or whatever of magic in the middle of your stem area that's worth watching, remember?"

Chara tapped the spot on Flowey's stem in question, earning an annoyed hiss in response from their brother. But even then, he did not change his face into one of his usual horrifying expressions. His boss monster face remained, and it did not have anywhere close to the intimidation power. Despite his indignation, Flowey anchored himself better by wrapping his vines up Chara's arm before offering any sort of reply.

"Tch, whatever. Just don't get your hopes up. It probably doesn't mean anything." He grumbled, letting a heavy silence hang for a few moments before relenting with a sigh. "I said I'd try and I have been, but It's been over a year and still nothing."

Toriel opened her mouth to comfort her son and offer him what reassurances she could, before he abruptly halted her with a touch from his vine.

"Anyway, all that's not important." He insisted, clearly no longer interested in discussing himself and his own situation. "What does this have to do with this thing you want to tell us?"

Toriel worried her lip with her fangs as all her stress over the situation came rushing back. Her son was right though. These distractions were likely her subconscious trying to avoid the subject as long as possible. But she couldn't allow that, dragging it out would only make things worse. And the sooner they got out of this cold, the better.

"Right… right…" She replied softly, forcing her mind to get back on track and recall how she had wanted to word this. "Well, the truth is children… I must admit that I have been terribly afraid of that very notion as of late. Of my own immortality."

She let those words hang for a few moments before continuing, noting the return of their silent attentiveness.

"I… I love what we have built for ourselves here on the surface… and especially all of the friends and family we have come to have. And I do not want to watch everyone die off someday, one by one, while I live on for all time." She paused, eyes growing heavy with emotion. "I… I want to grow old with everyone, and pass away someday around the same general time as they will. Leave this world when my natural time has come like all other monsters. I want to be mortal again."

Once more, she let them have time for that to sink in. It felt disingenuous in some ways to speak those words when she had already been granted her wish, but she felt it was necessary for them to understand what had led her to this point. She watched as both of them considered what she'd said. Flowey's expression was hard to read, but trended more towards his usual brand of guardedness when he was starting to get upset. Chara just looked curious, and perhaps a little uncertain. In the wake of what they had just discussed, this was a heavy admission from her, and they all knew it. Both seemed to get the idea fairly quickly though.

"It makes sense, I mean… I figured you'd want something like that eventually." Chara said after a moment with a weak sort of smile before giving Flowey another poke. "Guess you better hurry up and regain a soul so Mom and Dad can age again, huh bro?"

Flowey's eyes widened with that, though the emotion behind the act wasn't clear. He went stiff, staring up at Chara as unease and stress started to creep into his expression. Toriel was quick to interject before he slipped into any sort of guilt.

"Now Chara, that is _not_ what I meant." She said firmly, causing the flame attacks that encircled them to waver a little. "There is no certainty that that would work anyway. No… I… I decided to pursue other avenues to accomplish this."

She couldn't help but stumble a bit over that last part, not wanting to discuss the particular details with her children. That was a conversation she wanted to have when they were older. Much older. But they both seemed to catch on rather quickly regardless.

"Like what, having another kid?" Flowey asked, tilting his head and eyeing her incredulously. "Would you really be willing to have another kid with Dad? That would be... kind of weird wouldn't it?"

Toriel tried not to openly recoil at the question, but it did summon a shiver of unease down her spine. She was quick to, quite firmly, shake her head.

"No… no… If Asgore feels the same way I do about this, he is more than welcome to also seek out other options in that regard." She said, eyes narrowing briefly as she discussed her ex husband.

The spike of bitterness faded quickly though, unable to overpower her nerves regarding what she was about to tell her children. She took another steadying breath and laid her paws back into her lap, feeling her claws itching to extend. She curled the ones on her toes into the cold snow as she pushed through her own hesitation. It took a great deal of willpower, or determination as Frisk would say, to get the words out.

"You were right about the method I pursued though… just not… with your father."

Once she'd spoken, it was as though the air around them got heavier. Toriel could see in their eyes as realization steadily set in, causing them to widen. Chara's scarlet ones seemed to flicker between scarlet and brown, a sign that Frisk was likely reacting heavily to the news as well. Flowey, as predicted, was the one to react first though. It was clear her choice of words had not escaped him.

" _Pursued?_ " He repeated the word back at her accusingly, eyes narrowed fiercely.

Toriel felt his gaze upon her as though it were trying to sear her fur. She held firm and did not falter, but the confusion and upset in his eyes did claw at her soul. Chara said nothing, looking oddly stoic and staunchly calm as they watched the scene unfold. The fiery mix of emotions in their eyes though told her there was a lot going on with them beneath the surface.

The only thing she could do was explain further, hoping her children would understand. If they couldn't be happy about or fully accept this… she'd accept that. But she hoped they could at least understand.

"The truth is children… I did share these worries I have had with Sans… And he wanted me to be free of that eventual terrible fate, and offered to have a child with me in order to achieve that."

Her instinct was to lower her gaze away as she said this, out of fear of seeing their reactions. But no, she wouldn't look away. Doing so would only invite the idea that she was at all ashamed about this, when she had no such qualms. Things did not go ideally in terms of timing and being able to plan ahead, but she had no regrets. Seeing the tiny soul on that screen and feeling their magic within her had banished any possibility of that. This child was a blessing, and she wouldn't let them be treated like anything less by any word that left her.

Her children just continued to stare at her. One in distant silence, and the other in open disbelief and anger. She wouldn't allow herself to falter under their gazes.

"I intended to tell you of our plans… ease you into the idea before anything came of it, so you could voice your thoughts on the matter, but… I must admit… things took an unexpected turn..."

She lifted a paw and laid it on her stomach, seeking out and finding the faint pulses of magic. Feeling her little one's presence gave her another boost of willpower, and despite everything, she couldn't help but smile softly as she finally spelled it out bluntly for her children.

"Due to an unbidden act of magic I was not aware was possible… I am… already pregnant."

Stunned silence.

That was all that followed her finally delivering the news. Even the wind and ambient sounds of nature seemed to cease. Despite her nerves spiking, Toriel maintained her small smile and waited patiently to hear what the children had to say. Both of them kept darting their gazes to her stomach then back up to her face. Chara's eye color flickered again as both souls within them were stirred up with shock. She could imagine they were waiting on a punchline or some other sign she was cracking one of her usual jokes. But none would come. Not for this.

"Y-you… you're serious?" Chara finally managed to stammer out, a small, more stained smile on their face. "That's uh… wow. Can't say i saw that coming…"

Flowey said nothing, just looked at her with a flurry of anger burning behind his soft green eyes that deepened by the second. Beyond that though, there was the hurt Toriel had been expecting to see, though he was doing his best to keep that part under wraps. She could feel her soul ache to see how much upset she had caused him, but she held firm and went on with her explanation as calmly as she could.

"I understand if you are upset with me for not telling you in advance, or do not think well of this in general. I truly apologize for not taking better care in order to ensure you could have had some warning about this."

Flowey's dark, bewildered look didn't soften at that, and for a few more long moments, he only stared at her. It was almost as if he believed that he could somehow make what she had said untrue if he only directed enough reactionary ire in her direction. But as she met his gaze, saddened but unwavering, he deflated a little, letting his petals fall over his face. Chara looked at their brother with a mixture of wariness and interest, then flinched a bit as the flower monster let out a bark of humorless laughter.

"You got impatient, huh?" Flowey observed, bitterness and sarcasm dripping from the words. "I get it Mom. I'm not exactly anyone's definition of an ideal kid after all. Not like this. Why sit around trying to fix a broken mess with so much baggage when you can just get a new kid with a fresh clean slate right?"

With that, he had looked up at her again, a false grin splitting across his face. Even then though, his face didn't twist into one of the horrific displays he used to conjure up. His face still remained that of his imitation of his old self. Even though that made the expressions less effective, seeing them on the face that he had all those decades ago sent a ripple of unease down her spine. But she still didn't flinch. She kept her expression gentle, and kept her same calm tone when she replied.

"Flowey." She said his name, hoping to cool his anger with composed rationality. "You know that is not true. I did not by any stretch of the imagination do this with the intention of replacing you. I love you with all my heart and soul, no matter your form, no matter what terrible things you did Underground in the past. This child will not change that."

She allowed some of her smile to return, and fondness emerged in her scarlet eyes as she looked at the flower monster. She wanted so badly to give him some physical means of comfort and reassurance, but knew now was not the time for it. She would just have to settle for what she could accomplish with her words.

"I know you are growing and bettering yourself every day, and for that, I am very proud of you. And I will keep doing all I can to help you continue with that. I understand your anger, but I cannot allow such accusations."

Flowey let out a soft growl of frustration before arching his head on his vine to glare at her accusingly.

"But why else would you do it?" He demanded, voice shaking ever so slightly. "You all have been acting so confident about me gaining something of a soul back. But if you really believed that, why not just wait and see if that would reestablish our connection again?"

Toriel internally winced, acknowledging that it was a fair criticism, but a flawed one nonetheless. She let some sadness color her expression again as her mind drifted back to something that had happened shortly after the events of the previous spring, after Toriel had learned of Flowey's true identity on top of everything else.

"Flowey dear, you and I both heard what Alphys said back during your first exam." She reminded him, gently. "Even if you do gain a soul somehow, it is likely to be… only partially that of your old self. You are not just Asriel reincarnated after all, you have forged much of a new identity for yourself, and such things do greatly affect the soul. We do not even know how much of your dust was on that flower you now inhabit when it was injected with Determination. But it is very unlikely to have been all of it..."

Her gaze finally travelled downwards, unable to keep the sorrow from pooling within her soul as she reflected on her son's truly harrowing circumstances. She hated to have to say these things, at least partially squandering his attempts at being helpful. But she couldn't let him become so upset over something that had been a terribly uncertain option from the start.

"There is no guarantee that you gaining a soul would forge the same connection as we had before, for it will be that of who you are now. Not back then." She continued, seeing Chara's expression also become more dour for that.

Flowey just sneered in response, the sound and act heavy with frustration.

"Tch, whatever. I guess _this_ doesn't mean anything to you then?" He asked, suddenly holding up one of the leaves that adorned his stem.

Toriel tilted her head in confusion and looked at it. When she realized what he was referring to, her eyes went wide and she quickly shifted over for a closer look. What once had been an ordinary leaf had thickened somewhat and now had three distinct points near the end. They appeared to be useable digits, and sure enough, he gave them a wiggle to demonstrate that they did indeed have a good deal of dexterity. There was also a faint set of markings on the bottom side of the leaf that almost looked like an indication of a paw pad.

"They've been like this for a few days now, and you haven't even noticed." Flowey reported, the hurt in his voice becoming more evident.

Toriel just gaped a moment, the cogs in her mind turning slowly. Suddenly a possible explanation to why he'd kept using the same face for so long flared to life within her mind… Pieces were starting to fall into place, all potentially leading to something she hadn't dared hope for. Something that made her want to weep joyful tears all over again. She didn't allow herself to get too excited though, unsure if she was understanding what was happening correctly. She ever so gently cradled the little leaf on the curve of her finger, looking it over intently.

"I… I had noticed you were using your old face far more often… But I did not realize that you could no longer change it… nor that other parts of you were changing." She said, voice low and soft.

She just continued to take in the sight, eyes shining and mind racing, until she remembered the reason why Flowey had so angrily showed her this in the first place. She refocused on him and felt a great pain within her soul for not noticing these changes herself. Had she really been so blind? No wonder he was so angry… It wasn't quite as black and white as that, now that she cast her thoughts back, but the guilt endured nonetheless. Still, she felt it necessary to remind him of the remarkable implications this small change could indicate.

"This… this is a very encouraging sign, my child! I am truly sorry for not noticing until now, but to be fair, you made no efforts to let me know either. You even seemed to be actively hiding it now that I think about it, have you not?"

Flowey's scowl fell a bit into something more defensive and fearful. But he said nothing as he directed his gaze to the ground. Toriel felt sorrow for his sake once again penetrate her soul.

"Why sweetheart?" She asked, voice plaintive. "Why would you hide this?"

Flowey didn't answer for a few long moments, as she and Chara both looked at him expectantly. The look on her human child's face told her that they had also known of Flowey's compelling change in appearance, but kept silent, no doubt as requested by the flower monster himself. It seemed all of them still struggled with secrets, no matter how much they should had learned of the dangers of such things by this point.

"I didn't want to get your hopes up…" Flowey finally murmured, pulling his leafy "paw" away and holding them both tightly against himself. "I know what all this will make you think…"

Toriel sighed softly and shook her head, caught between between being disappointed in her son's behavior, and joy as to what his small transformation might mean. But that wasn't what he needed to hear right now. She gently gave the top of his head a stroke, taking in the feeling of the soft fur and petals there.

"Flowey dear… you know that I care about what is happening with you. Good or bad." She reminded him, "I understand that… these things must be scary in a way. To be changing the way you are inside... and now, out. And the outcome may not be what we are hoping it will be. But you do not need to hide things from me. I am strong, children. Far more now than ever before, and I can take setbacks and heartache. Especially for your sakes."

Chara managed a small smile at that, though it didn't quite reach their eyes. Flowey didn't raise his head, just flexed his vines anxiously where they clung to Chara's arm. Toriel continued when the silence indicated he wasn't going to reply.

"I only wish you had made me aware sooner." She said with a sigh, looking out towards where Undyne and Alphys' car had been parked before. "Alphys was just here and it would have been a perfect time to have her take a look at you and figure out what this all might mean…"

She felt Flowey grow tense again under her touch, as though the mention of the lizard monster had reignited his frustration. He pushed her paw away with a vine, keeping his leafy pseudo-paws tightly curled against him.

"You're missing the point Mom." He said, without quite as much bite as before. " _I_ maybe could have helped all of us be fully mortal again. If I… If I really do regain a soul someday or whatever, there has to be at least a chance it will bring my connection back to you and Dad. Then we all would age again, and you'd be having this… this accident baby for no reason!"

Flowey looked as though he recognized the exceptional harshness of those last words and winced a bit, but kept his hardened expression. Hearing him say that had sent a reactionary spike of anger and pain through Toriel, enough to make the fur on her neck stand on end. The instability of her emotions did not help matters either, doing its best to rob her of her composure. But she had dealt with Flowey's vitriol for long enough to know how to handle it. In this case though, she felt words would do better than simply waiting for him to apologize. There were deeper things at play here.

"Flowey, even if it is the case that our old connection is somehow reinstated and has the effect we hope for, I do not regret the decision I have made to have this child, nor do I approve of you referring to them that way." She said sternly, letting the words have time to sink in before she softened her tone once more. "I do very much appreciate that you want to help, even with your fears regarding your own immortality. That means a lot… truly, sweetheart. And I understand that… this is not easy for you. You had similar feelings when you saw me take in those children back in the Underground, did you not? I know it must be upsetting… to see me having another child, with someone other than your father... and someone that you are not fond of no less."

Saying all that and rationalizing it cooled her anger, and she looked at her ever tormented son with far gentler eyes. Silently, she reached over and indicated she'd like to pick him up. Chara relinquished their hold on him without issue, but Flowey was understandably slow to accept. She was prepared to back off if he rejected her further. But after letting out a quiet sigh of his own that escaped him in a visible puff of breath, he slowly uncoiled his vines from his sibling's arm and allowed himself to be handed over to Toriel.

He settled in her paws and instinctively began wrapping his vines around her wrists to secure himself. The sensation was unsettling admittedly, especially since it now brought back flashes of when he'd beset his vines upon her with much crueler intentions. She managed to remain focused though and keep those intrusive memories at bay. She cradled him carefully as though he were some fragile, precious thing, and let her love for him rise up from her soul to fill her. She knew he needed to feel that, because deep down, she knew this acting out was because Flowey feared he was replaceable. There was no better way to combat that than to let her soul communicate otherwise.

"I promise, my child, that your fears regarding my love for you are unfounded." She assured him, a deep fondness in her voice. "All of my children are my world, you mean everything to me. And I know that there is much to be gained for all of us through the raising of this new little soul here on the surface, far beyond the mortality it has brought me."

She let out a soft sigh fueled by the heightened warring of emotions within her soul, but managed to keep up a smile.

"This whole thing may not have gone as planned, and indeed was subject to impulse… but I would never consider them or any of my children as a mistake. Especially in light of what their birth will help mean for the future of monsterkind. Being part of that will be good for you, my son, I just know it. And though I understand it may take some time… I hope I can eventually help you to see that."

She poured her heart into the words, hoping they could penetrate Flowey's walls of anger and sense of betrayal enough to help him understand. He didn't back down right away, still looking up at her harshly through narrowed green eyes. But steadily, he seemed to deflate, expression becoming hidden as the shadows from his petals covered his face.

"Whatever, it's not like I can stop you at this point." He said softly.

Toriel looked at him sadly, pained by the defeat in his voice. Part of her would honestly prefer that he stay angry, rather than slip into empty apathy over the subject. She lifted him closer and gently nuzzled him, her nose tickled by both his flowery scent and the fine fur that covered his facial region.

"I will see about having Alphys take a look at you sometime soon." She said gently, voice trending towards a croon. "Try not to stress too much over all of this for now, and let me know if you feel or notice anything else change, especially if it is painful at all, alright?"

Flowey made a soft sound of acknowledgement, but not much beyond that. He at least didn't seem quite as hurt over the idea as before, which she would simply have to be content with for now. Getting him to accept this child as part of the family would take time and patience, as did most things with Flowey. At least now the concept was there for him to think about. She just had to ensure to keep him involved with things going forward, engage with him regularly, and especially keep an eye on whatever exactly was happening to him…

Oh how she wanted to think more on that and the exciting prospect it represented, a prospect that made her soul want to burst with joy if her assumptions turned out to be anywhere near the truth. She knew thought that it would be best to let it be for the moment, lest she reignite her son's frustrations. Also, there was the need to know how the child who'd been silent through all of this was taking the news. She turned to look at her human child, who was sitting and watching them rather calmly. The scarlet in their eyes showed Chara hadn't retreated in light of this revelation, but not what was going on inside that head of theirs.

"Chara dear, you have been awfully quiet." She noted, turning to face them while shifting Flowey to the crook of one arm. "Please, do let me know what you are thinking. It is alright to share whatever your thoughts are. I will not be angry."

Chara blinked as though surprised to be suddenly addressed. While they had seemed rather at ease and distant moments ago, being put on the spot caused some confliction and nervousness to return to their expression. They scuffed the heel of their boot through the snow in anxious thought, snow that had become more wet and less compact due to the heat of Toriel's surrounding flames, thus making the snow stick to their heel a bit. They idly tried to shake it off as they replied.

"Its… weird, definitely. I'm not really sure what to think right now." They admitted, gaze drifting downwards. "But i'm not like, really upset or whatever. I get why you'd want to do it, and maybe a skeleton... boss monster kid could be cool to see at least."

Not being able to get the snow off, they let the boot fall back against the ground with a soft thunk. Toriel noticed the scarlet in their eyes waver towards brown and back again, before Chara managed a small smile.

"Frisk is super excited though, in case you were wondering." They said, with a touch of amusement. "So if you'd rather they are out more often being super positive about the situation and all, I get it."

Toriel promptly shook her head, reaching her free paw over to rest on her child's thickly padded shoulder. It was greatly heartening to hear Frisk was as happy about the announcement as Toriel had expected they'd be, but that was no reason for Chara to feel the need to hide away out of fear of upsetting her.

"It is perfectly fine that you are unsure of things, my child." She assured them earnestly. "You do not need to hide your feelings. I do not expect you to take to this news so easily, especially since I just got you both back in my life not too long ago. This must feel so sudden and confusing..."

She leaned forward and gently nuzzled her child's cheek, in the way she knew they loved, even if they didn't like to admit it. They accepted the affection, even if it no doubt embarrassed them a little too.

"But I truly appreciate your willingness to show understanding, Chara." She continued, voice full of maternal warmth. "That is all I could ask for right now."

Those words did seem to satisfy her child for the moment, as they gave her a tired looking, but sincere smile in response. Toriel then thought of something that might be a reasonable next step for the both of them in regards to this. She laid her free paw back on her stomach, seeking out the little one's magic again before holding out the paw to Chara.

"Would you… like to feel?" She offered, expression hopeful. "It is still faint… but their magic is detectable if you focus on it."

She watched as her child's expression shifted through a few different reactions, starting off uncertain then slowly delving into curiosity. Flowey also stiffened a bit from his place in her other paw, but lifted his head to watch regardless. Chara shifted forward on their knees and cautiously laid their hand in Toriel's paw, allowing her to guide it to her stomach. At first, Chara's eyes narrowed and they frowned as though they weren't picking up on anything. But after a few moments, their eyes widened, revealing the brilliant scarlet in full.

They stayed quiet, clearly perplexed and mystified by the sensation, but the sparkling of their eyes was worth a thousand words.

"Wow... i'll admit, that's pretty cool Mom." Chara said, before letting out a soft snicker. "Like a freaky little alien inside you."

Toriel looked at them, rather unamused, and let out a deep sigh.

"Thank you Chara…" She replied, with a touch of sarcasm. "How very… eloquent of you."

Her child simply beamed up at her, clearly quite pleased by the response. They and Toriel both then turned to look at Flowey, who had been watching without a word during the whole thing. He shrunk back a bit under their gazes, expression hardened. Still, Toriel silently offered out her paw to him the same way she'd done with Chara, resolving to give him the option even if he chose to reject it. He stared at her paw for some time, as though it would burn him if he did touch it. But then, looking away with a roll of his eyes, he lifted and laid a vine in her paw.

Toriel couldn't help but smile brightly with joy at that, no matter how small a victory it was. She moved him down near her stomach and let him guide the vine to settle against it. But before he finished the motion, he paused, and looked down at the leafy pseudo paws he now possessed. After some internal warring with himself, he decided to use them instead for the task at hand. Mirroring Chara, he laid the small leaf against her stomach, expression pinching a bit in concentration. It didn't take him long to pick up on the faint waves of magic emitted from his future sibling.

Even Flowey, as resistant to the idea as he was, seemed fascinated by what he was feeling. He was stiff as he took it all in, but steadily relaxed as he kept his leafy paw in place. She imagined that despite being a monster who had been through countless timelines where he lived through a vast number of variable experiences, he likely never had done or felt something like this before. Toriel watched his bright green eyes waver with mixed emotion as the moments passed. But he wasn't as taken in by the experience as Chara had been. As if a switch went off in his head, he pulled back from her before long, fidgeting with his changed limbs.

"It's… weird." He finally said, though he couldn't keep the edge of curiosity out of his voice. "Is that really how it was with me too?"

Toriel smiled down at him and gave his head another gentle stroke, one he allowed with less grumbling this time.

"Yes sweetie, it was." She confirmed, letting her memories of those times float to the forefront of her mind. "Though you were a lot less active at this stage. You would sometimes worry me terribly because of that! But you also gave me far less morning sickness than this little one is."

As it to prove her point, all the excited stirring from the little soul at being acknowledged so much and introduced to their future siblings made Toriel's magic churn uneasily. She had to ride out the brief wave of nausea as she watched Flowey ponder on that idea. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he looked oddly pleased by that fact in a way. But the expression was hidden from her before she could really confirm it.

There was silent agreement then that there was one more person who needed to meet the little one, the most excited and patient of the three in this case for sure. Chara nodded, and there was understanding that passed between them and Toriel that they wouldn't hide away in the wake of this, and would return to control soon. With that, they shut their eyes, and let out a deep breath. A shiver seemed to travel through them, changing their body posture in its wake. By the end of it they had opened their more narrowed eyes to reveal the soft, familiar brown. A brown that immediately filled with excited sparkles.

In a blink, Frisk was wrapping her in an eager but mindful hug, practically overflowing with joyful energy. Then they rapidly moved to also seek out the baby's magic, all but bouncing in place with exuberance when they could feel it. Toriel had to admit, it felt nice seeing someone so excited about this in the wake of all that. It would make things easier to see Frisk's innate positivity towards the idea going forward as she worked more slowly with Chara and Flowey over this. Her fluffy tail stirred the snow behind her a bit in a cheerful wag as she watched her child's sincere glee over the news.

(It's amazing! I'm so excited!) Frisk signed once they could bear to pull away, hands moving in such a rapid blur Toriel had to really focus to catch all the words. (We will have our own little baby sibling! So cute! I can't wait to meet them! I am so happy for you and Sans! Does everyone know? Did Sans faint?!)

Toriel laughed warmly at all the questions, whilst she heard Flowey grumble in annoyance at their enthusiasm. They had given her plenty of things to offer responses to, but she decided the best thing to do was to focus on the last two questions.

"No my child, though he came close certainly." She said with another giggle. "And only Undyne and Alphys know right now… I will have to tell you the full story."

By now, Frisk' nose was turning pink from the cold, and the next breeze had them all shivering a bit, even with the added warmth of the flames attacks encircling them. Even Flowey's subdued nature probably was at least in part due to how cold it was. Feeling him instinctively press close to her for warmth was the final piece of convincing she needed.

"But let us get out of this cold for now. How about I tell it while we have some hot cocoa and pie by the fireplace?" She suggested, to much approval from Frisk, and a quiet affirmation from Flowey.

With that, she made to stand and Frisk followed suit with an excited nod, scrambling to their feet. The flame attacks around them faded with a small shower of sparks that fell into the slushy snow beneath them. Toriel rested her free paw on the great trunk of the willow to keep her balance as she got up, silently thanking the old tree and bidding it farewell for now. It groaned and creaked in the faint wind, and it felt to Toriel like enough of an answer.

She guided Frisk by the hand back to the house, holding Flowey close to her as they walked to shield him from any further icy afternoon breezes. Frisk was hopping along through the snow, still utterly giddy with excitement, but her son stayed silent and deep in thought from his place in the crook of her other arm. About halfway to the door, Toriel felt him tighten his grip on her with his vines, prompting her to look down at him. He met her gaze with another hard, serious expression, green eyes still carrying a spark of anger.

"When are planning on telling Dad this?" He asked, tone dipping towards accusatory. "He deserves to know."

Toriel bristled a bit, not expecting to so rapidly have to be confronted with the next inevitable step of all this. Her soul's magic turned sickly at the thought. She'd been avoiding that prospect, even more so than she had regarding her children's reactions to the news. She didn't stop walking though, not wanting Frisk to grow too concerned as she tensed up.

Her vision was filled with imaginings of Asgore's face upon hearing the news, and it stirred a mix of emotions in her so fierce that she felt her claws itch to extend. But Flowey was right. He would have to know. And she had to be the one to tell him… even if there was little else she wanted to do less. She steadied herself as best she could with her fluctuating emotions, meeting her son's harsh gaze without flinching.

"Soon, my child. About the baby… and what is happening with you. I promise." She vowed softly, before turning her gaze up to the gray winter sky.

"I promise, I will see to it soon..."

With that soft declaration made, she and her children made the rest of the short journey back to the house in silence. But Toriel's mind continued to race. She thought she'd be able to feel a great relief once her children had been informed, and she could turn her focus back to all the happiness of carrying this little soul again. But as one burdening weight was lifted, another fell into its place. She did manage to feel some peace though as she considered things further, finding that things were not as imposing as her instincts had first assumed.

Asgore was the last true hurdle in telling the others. Once he was told, things from there would be far easier. She was sure she'd get at least mostly positive reactions from her coworkers at the school. None of them seemed the type to judge her too harshly for the less than ideal aspects to how her pregnancy had come about. And she could face the scrutiny and mixed reactions of the general public, just as she had been since reintegrating herself as part of their society as a normal citizen. The prospect of that did not truly worry her, not like it would have early on after she'd first left the Ruins. Telling Asgore about this child though…

Even now, her soul stirred with the pain of old wounds. Wounds that were healing, slowly… but still had painful raw edges to them. She used to be able to read the king of monsters so well, know him inside and out and predict his every action regardless of the situation. But after that terrible day their children were killed by the humans… she realized she had never known him as well as she'd thought. And now she truly didn't know with any certainty how he was going to react to this news. But the idea of him taking it well without any sort of negative emotions attached… was all but impossible.

She wouldn't let that stop her though. Asgore was going to find out eventually, and he deserved to be told in a proper manner. No matter how he reacted, she needed to face him and tell him the truth. She wouldn't allow herself to give into her instinct to run and hide that emerged when facing matters concerning him.

Nor would she allow her inclinations towards bitterness to take hold of her once again and sour the whole affair. No, she would leave as much of that as she could at the door when she went to inform him, and face him with all the composure she could muster with the baby's influence on her emotional state taken into consideration. So long as she could manage that, she could get through the task without too many old wounds being reopened. For either of them.

And she knew just the place to tell him…


	8. Glass

Toriel stood alone on the hilltop, a wintry breeze gently tossing her ears as she stared at the looming structure before her. She was properly bundled up against the cold with a thick coat and scarf, but she still felt chilled. And it wasn't just from the current temperature.

Her powerful ears could detect the sounds of heavy footfalls crunching through the snow laden grass behind her, each one splitting the otherwise heavy quiet of the area. She knew who it was. How could she not? She was the one who'd asked him to meet her here. And his timing was as impeccable as always when it came to matters regarding her.

The footsteps continued until the monster in question was standing beside her, returning the previous silence to the area. The tension that hung between them was thick, entirely due to Toriel's own inner turmoil over what she was going to have to tell him. He didn't say anything right away, clearly patiently waiting for her to speak. He was always so patient with her. Why was she always the one who couldn't relax? Part of her wanted to blame it on the baby unsettling her emotions, but that would be disingenuous and she knew it.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, watching as it escaped her in a visible mist. It curled up and vanished before she spoke.

"Greetings Asgore…" She said softly, voice almost comically professional. "I thank you for responding to my message so promptly."

Though she didn't turn to look at him, she could all but feel the soft smile that appeared on his face in response.

"Of course Toriel." He said, shifting a bit where he stood. "I do hope everything is alright… I must say I was surprised to get your call."

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the movement of him turning to face the castle again, his smile growing wider.

"But I am glad to have a reason to come out here and see the progress that has been made. Burgundy and her team really have been doing wonderfully with the restoration efforts."

Toriel lifted her eyes to the castle as well, taking in all differences that could be seen when comparing it to how it had been at the start of all this. Crumbling walls now had new support structures and were being filled in new with period appropriate stonework. Overgrown plant life had been carefully tended to and trimmed so that they no longer invaded the structure of the castle.

New stone pathways had been laid in, along with carefully replicated iron and wood work for the massive castle doors. Years of dirt and grime had been carefully cleaned off from the castle's outer structure, and it now had the air of a place that was inhabited and cared for. Even the lanterns on the walls and arched doorways were lit, shining through the still grayness of winter that surrounded them.

It was a beautiful sight, one that continuously impressed her all the more each time she visited. Her memories of this place may be terribly conflicting and hard to reflect on, but something within her still felt warm and contented when she saw the progress Burgundy was making.

"Yes… it… really does look more and more like my old home every time I visit." She said, relaxing a little as she spoke. "As though she is slowly pulling it back from that era."

The true reason for their being here came rushing back quickly, and she had to take a moment to steel herself for the task ahead. The urge to touch her stomach rose up within her, but she resisted and finally turned to look up at her ex-husband's towering form. He was dressed up a comically casual set of winter wear. Bright pink sweater and worn down jeans, topped with a winter's cap and thick gray jacket with fur trim. He looked quite silly, as he often seemed to when not expected to make public appearances. She wasn't sure if the humorous sight helped her with the current situation or not, but she pressed on regardless, forcing herself to speak.

"But anyway… As I said in the call, that is not the main reason I wished to speak with you…"

Her resolve was already threatening to waver, looking into his concerned, bi-colored eyes. As before, she had mapped out what she had wanted to say so thoroughly in her head. She'd taken the day off from teaching by Undyne and Alphys' insistence to sort things out, despite the suspicion it would inevitably cause. Meaning she'd had the whole day to plan how she'd tell Asgore the news.

But now the words were spinning around in her head as though trapped in a whirlpool, and she found herself unable to grasp them enough to approach this with any eloquence. Her inner turmoil must have been leaking into her expression, for his own communicated concern back at her. She averted her gaze again, riding out an uncomfortable wave of nausea and discomfort that briefly swept through her.

"Asgore… I…" She tried to speak, but the words felt as though they caught in her throat making them come out strained.

Great, if he didn't think something was wrong before, he definitely would now. Leave it to her paranoia to turn sharing wonderful if somewhat conflicting news for him into something it sounded like she was dreading. To her surprise though, Asgore didn't promptly ask her a flurry of questions. He was quiet, and she felt his gaze burning into her. No matter what emotion was in his eyes then, it felt harsh and made her wish to flee. But she stayed firm, trying to get her surging emotions to quiet enough that she could get back on track with this. But Asgore's voice was the one to break the sudden silence, a warm rumble in contrast with the frigid air around them.

"I… think I may actually already have an idea of what is going on." He admitted, softly.

Toriel felt a chill down her spine as she whirled to face him again, shocked. Surely he couldn't already know... How could he? Not unless someone told him or there was some outward sign he'd picked up on already?

"Wh-what?" She stammered out, searching his eyes for signs of just how much he knew.

But the sight there wasn't one of knowing or hurt, it was one of understanding. A far too mild understanding in fact. Clearly he didn't know the full truth… That relaxed her somewhat, knowing her secret in all likelihood hadn't been discovered prematurely, but she still listened intently to what he had to say, curious as to what he _did_ know.

"I am not sure if you were aware of this Toriel… but back at New Years… you said some rather odd things while well… intoxicated." He said, running his claws through his beard. "In particular… during the car ride home you mentioned something about managing to avoid speaking about immortality. I couldn't help but notice…"

Toriel felt the quick rush of surprise, then embarrassment at herself. Had she… really said that? No wonder he was looking at her like that. She finally recognized the emotion there. It was pity, and it made her feel hot under her fur with mixed emotion.

"I was wondering how you must be feeling about that, now that we are free." He went on, voice gentle. "It didn't surprise me to hear you were troubled by it. It was always something that bothered you, even when we were children… and then even more so after we'd been sealed."

A soft, fond smile stretched across his face as he slipped into old memories. Ones that were once so dear to them both, but were now mired in all the tragedy that had followed them.

"You were so eager and excited to have a child once things settled down… you never valued preserving your immortality." Asgore reflected, before his expression grew more somber. "I can't imagine how much it must have tormented you to have it thrust upon you again on top of everything else… when our children died that day."

The tension in the air returned with those words, enough to make it more difficult for Toriel to so much as breathe normally. She hadn't expected the conversation to go like this, and the memories were pressing down on her harder than they would be if she weren't dealing with an inherently unstable emotional state. It took her more effort than she anticipated to maintain her level headedness and she swallowed hard before working out a reply.

"It served its purpose." She said stiffly, voice shaking just a bit. "Even if my efforts ended in… in failure, I recognized that maintaining my immortality was the only way I could have possibly continued with my mission."

A shadow of sorrow passed over Asgore's eyes, one she was sure was reflected in her own. If the words had been left to hang, the tension between them could have surely rose to palpable levels again, only to shatter like glass as old wounds threatened to ache anew. But he spoke up again before that could happen, though more quietly than before.

"But you are starting to wish it gone again, aren't you?"

She couldn't answer, not sure how exactly to respond, but her silence seemed to be enough of a confirmation for Asgore. He made a soft sound of understanding in his throat, pulling his jacket more snugly around his massive shoulders.

"Did you call me here because you wish to hear my thoughts on the subject before you make any decisions?" He asked after a beat, before a somewhat awkward, nervous smile crossed his face. "I cannot imagine that you intended to ask me to… help take away your immortality again."

She immediately bristled at that, and couldn't help but glare at him with a low sound of irritation. He quickly raised his paws in surrender and waved them dismissively.

"Sorry, bad joke." He said with a little forced laugh.

He dropped his paws again and cleared his throat, seemingly slipping back into his more formal, kingly demeanor. One that still came off to her as rather humorous, knowing how much it contrasted with his true personality… not to mention his current choice of attire.

"But truly, what did you wish to speak to me about, regarding this?" He asked, in the expected professional tone.

As flat as it was, his attempt at seriousness did help her anchor her thoughts again. She took a steadying breath, releasing it in a heavy sigh. She never wanted to speak of the baby in a way that made it seem like her pregnancy was bad news or something to be dreaded, but she knew there was little chance of not hurting Asgore with it on some level. As much of a joyous occasion this was for her… it was yet another definitive reminder for him that she had moved on, and was taking another massive step with the monster who now held her heart. That wasn't going to be easy for him to hear, no matter what.

"It is not a matter of wishing my immortality gone." She said at last, worrying her lip with her fangs. "It… already _is_ gone."

Asgore blinked at that, clearly not anticipating such a revelation. His eyes widened as her words sank in.

"D-do you mean Flowey has…?" He began to ask, but Toriel promptly shook her head.

"No… it is not because of our son." She explained, feeling a twinge of returning guilt as their child's words from her discussion with him resurfaced. "His magic remains severed from us, though there is something I need to tell you about him… but that will have to wait..."

One could easily say the situation surrounding Flowey and his small but notable change in appearance outweighed the importance of letting Asgore know about the baby, but Toriel just had to get that part of this over and done with. The encouraging implications of Flowey's current state of being would work well in uplifting her ex husband's spirits should they fall too much upon hearing the news of her pregnancy.

Satisfied with that decision, she met his eyes and summoned up enough inner strength to get to the point.

"My mortality has been returned to me." She declared, in much the same tone she would use back when she was queen. "Because I am going to have another child… with Sans. I am carrying that child's soul as we speak, though I only found out a short time ago. That is what I called you here to tell you."

Asgore's eyes once again widened with surprise and he took a small, instinctive step back. His gaze flicked to her stomach for a few moments then back to her face as though expecting her to reveal she'd only been messing with him. But Toriel held firm, her red eyes clear and holding no spark of deception. And that inevitably drove home the point for Asgore, as she could practically see reality bearing down on him. She went on before he could respond, wanting to soften the shock that further silence would invite.

"I felt it best to tell you in person… though I know there is no way that I can make this painless for you." She said, pulling her jacket tighter around her and dropping her gaze to the snow ladened ground.

Asgore still seemed to be trying to process what he had just heard, standing stockstill across from her like a deer in the headlights. She was purposefully avoiding looking into his eyes, fearful of the pain and heartache she'd see there, but she could feel the intensity of his gaze nonetheless. The little soul stirred within her, as if concerned what was causing their mother such stress. She silently assured them all was fine, if only to try and placate them so they'd stop making her feel like she was going to be sick right then and there. Stars knows that was the last thing she needed in this situation.

"You… you've already…?" Asgore eventually stammered out, prompting her to look up at him again.

She saw in his eyes what she had been fearing, but not to the exaggerated degree her mind had been convinced of. He was actually surprisingly calm. The shock at least seemed to slowly be fading though, but into something that trended more so towards defeat than acceptance. And even though he hadn't spoken those last few words with an accusatory tone, Toriel still felt herself stiffen up defensively regardless.

"I know it is soon in the grand scheme of things…" She admitted, flatly. "And things did not go exactly to plan… but this was something we both wanted and had planned to do. Finding out it had happened earlier was unexpected, but did not change either of our feelings. Had things gone as we had intended, we would have told you accordingly as well."

He didn't react for a beat, and Toriel almost wondered if he had even heard what she had said. But then a small, sad sort of smile spread across his face. And when he met her gaze again his eyes again held that soft shine of understanding, albeit dulled by the old wounds that still hadn't fully healed in the decades that had passed since their separation. She was surprised though, that he didn't look as dismayed as she'd been expecting. She hoped that was simply because he was taking the news better than anticipated, and not that he had simply improved his ability to hide his emotions from her.

"I… I am grateful you decided to tell me so directly." He said quietly, still through that sad excuse for a smile that hurt to look at. "You certainly didn't have to do that after all…"

He took a deep breath, looking back towards the castle for a few moments. Toriel could all but see his thoughts racing, and it suddenly felt as though _he_ were the one aging before her eyes. Something eventually seemed to settle within him and he looked back at her with a brighter smile, one that was a little less forced.

"I am happy for you Toriel." He said simply, though with an unexpected warmth. "This is marvelous news. You are a wonderful mother, and you will be a wonderful mother to this child as well. I am excited to meet them one day. And I am so glad you were able to be freed from your immortality as you wished."

Now it was Toriel's turn to blink at him, unable to keep from feeling a little dumbfounded. His reaction was… so much less upsetting than she expected. It seemed her usual tendency to think the worst of him or of situations involving him still prevailed to some degree even now. The realization was frustrating, but she did her best not to dwell on it. This was going better than she had thought it would, and she should just be happy that was the case.

"I appreciate your understanding." She said, though her expression remained uncertain. "I know this must be a shock…"

He let out a weak little laugh and lightly scratched the side of his face with a claw.

"I suppose, but there is little else you've loved more than being a mother, so there are certainly more shocking things you could have told me." He reasoned, before his expression sobered up slightly. "Do... the children know?"

She nodded slowly, still not fully sure what to make of his response. She wasn't about to give him a reason to slip into more dour emotions however, so she was quick to reply.

"Yes, I told them yesterday." She affirmed. "Undyne and Alphys know as well. And Sans of course. But beyond that, you are the last one I felt needed to be told directly before the news met more gossip prone ears. I do not plan to make this a spectacle, but I will not keep it a secret either."

A stirred gust of wind followed her words, making both boss monsters' long ears sway lightly. Asgore's expression stayed soft, but his eyes showed a pensiveness as he picked over all she had told him.

"I see…" He said after a moment, before pushing his smile further. "I am glad you have been able to achieve so much happiness on the surface Toriel. You deserve it, truly."

Toriel just looked at him, finding no words were coming to her to say in return. She knew he was speaking truthfully, but she still found it difficult to respond when he offered such heartfelt sentiment towards her nowadays. Especially in a situation like this, where she'd expect him to be upset with her on some level. It made her feel conflicted and uneasy as her instinctive courtesy collided with decades of baggage still being sorted through. Though she supposed that was preferable to feeling angry and sick around him as she used to.

She opened her mouth to thank him as she knew she should, but he stepped forward a bit before she could, once again looking at her with concern.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, eyes again briefly fixing on her stomach area. "I know you um… had a lot of symptoms when you were carrying Asriel. Are you doing alright so far?"

The change in topic didn't quiet her restless mind completely, but it did offer her something she felt more confident replying to. She straightened up a bit as if to demonstrate her level of wellness, resting her paw over her middle.

"I am fine… the symptoms are there, but I have been through this before." She reminded him, before fondness for the child growing inside her softened her expression and drew her eyes down towards them. "The happiness this has brought me far outweighs any small side effect that accompanies it. And it helps to know that, if Alphys' prediction rings true, that I will only be carrying them for around six more months."

Speaking joyfully about the baby again settled a good deal her nerves, and she smile she wore was genuine and warm. Asgore picked up on that, seemingly ensuring his own stayed in place. He blinked at the indication of how long she'd be carrying the little one, looking surprised.

"Six months? Golly…" He said, stroking his beard in thought again. "I guess it is to be expected… since it will be a hybrid. One of two nearly extinct species no less! Sans must be so happy… I cannot say I ever pictured him as the fatherly type, but I am sure he will do wonderfully. And… it will bring him… boundless joy."

The king of monsters' eyes shone then, caught up in precious memories old and new. They trended downwards towards the snow, as if he expected to see his children at his feet in that moment. Toriel continued to find she had nothing to say, fearful to allow herself to reminisce the way he was. It would invite thoughts towards those who she'd loved and cared for… but inevitably failed in the end. Such thoughts would only stir up tension and old pain again, and they certainly didn't need that right now.

"Did he tell his brother yet?" Asgore asked, snapping her out of yet another momentary lapse.

She blinked and shook away the heavier thoughts, thankful that he'd changed the subject. It was one that she couldn't help but smile over, though it was one of sympathy for her dear skeleton.

"He… he tried, but he cracked a bit under the pressure I am afraid. He just could not bring himself to do it." She said, recalling the events of the previous night.

As Sans had with her, she left the task of telling Papyrus up to him alone. He hardly had anything to fear in the same way Toriel had, as they all knew that the exuberant skeleton would be over the moon at the news. But that didn't mean the prospect of telling him was easy for Sans. He'd started out confidently enough, if with the expected level of nerves a situation like this called for. But when Papyrus began excitedly pressing him on the matter, it all just seemed to become too much. He'd gone through quite a great deal of emotional moments that day, so Toriel hadn't been too surprised.

"Sans is still finding it hard to be open and honest with his brother about things, and this was... well… quite the trial by fire. He inevitably fell back into his old habits of joking his way out of a situation." She explained to Asgore, tone becoming more relaxed. "The poor dear was sulking about it afterwards, quite upset with himself, but I think there is a good chance he will muster up the courage to do it tonight. He does want to be the one to deliver the news, understandably. Like he did when we first got together. But this announcement carries quite a deal more weight, of course."

A small giggle escaped her then, remembering how a certain human child of hers had reacted when they realized they had to keep the secret from Papyrus for a while.

"I just hope he does it before poor Frisk can't contain themselves from telling Papyrus any longer." She said, smile brightening. "I am not sure how much longer they will last."

Speaking of that had raised her spirits, and allowed her to face Asgore more confidently. His own expression had not changed, keeping up a smile as he nodded along with her story. A small twinkle of amusement did form in his eyes, but did not last long amongst everything else he must have been feeling in that moment. But he did try to match her jovial tone, if only a bit.

"Well, I am confident Papyrus will easily rank among the best of uncles. I would not be surprised if I heard his reaction to the news all the way across the city." He said, with one short chuckle.

Toriel for her part gave the idea a few giggles, agreeing that such a reaction was more than likely. She wondered if the windows of her house would survive the event. As the amusing thought and the brief respite it had brought her faded however, she found herself looking back at Asgore, whose own gaze was directed back at the looming castle. His expression had become pensive, and though it appeared he was looking at the grand structure before them, it was as though his eyes were truly looking at something intangible that she couldn't see.

Tiny flecks of white entered her vision as she continued to look at him, some of them settling on the stark gold of his beard. It had begun to snow. The weather report hadn't called for it, but she wasn't bothered to give it much attention. All her focus had shifted onto something she'd been meaning to ask since he arrived here.

"Do… do you also wish to be rid of your immortality someday, Asgore?" She asked, a heaviness returning to her voice.

Asgore didn't respond right away, only the half-lidding of his eyes showing that he had indeed heard her. Eventually he brushed some snow off of his muzzle, seemingly pulling him from his brief musing. His smile and more focused eyes returned, almost making Toriel question if she had truly witnessed that brief slip of the mask.

"Well… my situation is a little different." He replied, holding out a paw to catch a few of the falling flakes in. "I have a kingdom of monsters still in need of their leader in this time of great change and development."

The flakes melted as they settled against his warm paw pads, until they formed into drops that silently rolled off into his fur. Asgore blinked down at them before closing his fist again and letting it fall back into place at his side.

"I am not sure if I deserve such an easy way out." He admitted with a small shake of his head. "If I were to one day age again because of Asriel and his potential growth, that would be one thing. But to make the choice to father another child..."

Conflicted feelings could be seen rising up in his bi-colored eyes, snaring guilt alongside beloved nostalgia for times long past. He closed them after a moment, a small amount of his earlier smile returning.

"I'd be happy beyond words to raise another little monster… It would be a tremendous blessing." He said, in a way that made it clear he reflected Toriel's own emotions on the subject.

"But I feel I still have work to do before I potentially pursue anything like that. Monsterkind have been thrown through enough changes recently. The majority for the better, of course… but I think they still need some semblance of stability through it all. At least for a while. And I will have to face my eventual due punishment by the human courts once ten years have passed. Even though it was agreed I will be shown mercy and will not be facing death or lifelong imprisonment, it would be… irresponsible perhaps to not take that into consideration."

The words hung between them for a moment, until it seemed Asgore remembered himself and suddenly put forth his usual persona. That of the doofy, positive, big hearted king of monsters. A side of him that she still found hard to fully accept, but greatly preferred over any other she'd seen from him. She wasn't sure how he could snap back into that so quickly, but it left her feeling more frustrated than anything. He smiled sheepishly at and lightly scratched at his cheek.

"Golly, that was a lot of rambling." He said with one of his usual deep chuckles, almost apologetic in tone. "Basically what I am trying to say is… I would love to someday be rid of my immortality as well, to live out like my life as I feel all monsters are meant to. Not to mention getting to be a father to another child... But I think for the sake of my people and those in my staff all working towards peace… It would be best for me to stay as I am for the time being."

He laid his paw over his chest as he said that last part. A gesture he often used when making declarations as king. He let it remain there as he continued as well, as though he deemed the act and words he spoke as deserving the same level of care as those royal speeches.

"It is the least I can do for now… to make some small amends for what I have done."

Toriel felt her fur bristle a bit at that once more, feeling the pointed nature of the words. They were crafted for her specifically, and that just made her uneasy. But as she ruminated on the meaning behind what he had said, she felt herself steadily relax again. His reasonings for not actively working to be freed from his own immortality were admirable. It showed his deep devotion to his subjects, a devotion that he had even been willing to kill for in the past.

But now it endured in a new light, and it was one she was sure he could truly be proud of. Whether it could actually count for a level of atonement in the grand scheme of things was not truly her call to make, but she did find herself quite pleased with his answer. Maybe even a little impressed. It brought back a stab of her own guilt, that of the deserter queen who had left her throne and former subjects behind. She'd long since came to peace with her decision back then and what had led her to it, but she was still glad that Asgore was able to maintain the mantle of leadership alone. It was… encouraging on a larger scale. Even hopeful.

"I understand." She said, before slowly gaining a genuine smile. "I think… that is quite a noble choice Asgore."

It was clear from the way his eyes shone that he was overjoyed to hear her say something like that to him. She sighed, ignoring the lingering bitter twinge in her soul that wanted her to take back what she had just said. She wasn't about to spoil the moment with any backsliding in terms of the progress she'd made in accepting him in more positive terms again.

The snow began falling more thickly then, prompting both boss monsters to look up towards the gray winter sky. A few more flakes settled on and chilled her muzzle. She sniffed and brushed them off before taking a definitive step towards the castle ahead of them.

"Burgundy will not be here for a little while longer. Would you be willing to walk with me?" She asked, looking at him over her shoulder. "The castle is not especially warm but… it will be better than standing out here exposed to the elements. There is still much I need to tell you… Especially about our son..."

Asgore blinked, noting her serious tone. He quickly nodded and followed after her, his large paws crunching through the snow laden grass. He remained silent as they made their way down the hill, allowing Toriel to take over as the one speaking. It was far easier to recount the information regarding Flowey's situation than it had to reveal her pregnancy. She went into detail regarding all the small things that had changed about his appearance, the fact he could no longer seem to contort his face as he used to, and his general reaction to the news. Including his expressed desire for his own development towards possibly reforming a soul. That sign of compassion and selflessness from him was something she emphasized, knowing Asgore too would see the significance of it.

She'd kept on talking about the matter, feeling the words all but rush and tumble out of her, until they had reached the castle's grand doors. There was no need to open the door with magic as she had the first time, as the humans who frequented the site in order to see to the restoration simply had the entrance protected with a rather high tech looking padlocked gate. One she had been provided the code for. Such a means of entering the ancient place felt strange and unsuitable, but she recognized it was a temporary convenience for those working there, rather than any permanent fixture.

Once they'd entered the castle and found a place to sit amongst the newly constructed furnishings, she continued recounting everything to Asgore. But not without taking in how the sights around them had changed.

The interior was developing along the same slow but steady path as the outside, but already there was a great deal of progress. Things looked about the same since Toriel had last been here to check in. Everything had been thoroughly cleaned, stairs had been patched up, Design work for replacement decorative pieces had been finalized, walls were being steadily repainted, holes were filled in, period appropriate furniture was laid out, and the enduring original structures had been stabilized.

Best of all, the whole place was now lit up with lanterns spread throughout, much like how they were originally. These new ones were artificial and on a timer, but it not too obvious unless one looked close enough, and it was hard to argue that they weren't an improvement if only in functionality. Being able to see everything without that choking darkness made the ancient place feel a lot less imposing. The castle had a long way to go surely, but Toriel felt a little more like she was stepping into the distant past each time she visited the site.

She eventually finished speaking from her place on the long, elegantly constructed wooden bench along the far wall that she and Asgore had chosen to sit on. One that was meant to emulate one that had resided here long ago. Asgore ran his claws through his beard again in thought from his place beside her, looking as though he were going the same turbulent range of emotions as she had been.

"So Flowey is showing signs of possibly regaining some of his boss monster like features..." He noted, unable to keep a sparkle from his bi-colored eyes. "I know we shouldn't be prematurely celebrating… but that is such encouraging news! I knew he was improving, even if he has trouble admitting it…" The light of excitement in his eyes shone brighter, and he faced her with far more confidence. "I will be sure to keep a close eye on him and Chara when they are with me next week, and let you know right away if anything else happens."

Though the news clearly had the effect Toriel had been hoping for, bringing Asgore's mood up from the earlier discussion, his expression fell slightly shortly after. He cleared his throat and leaned forward looking at her again with that damned pitying expression.

"So… I take it then that Flowey didn't take the news well?" He asked, offering a sad, sympathetic sort of smile. "Of the baby I mean…"

Toriel let out a soft sigh, remembering the pain and anger she'd seen in her son's eyes the previous day. Much of that anger being for the sake of the monster sitting beside her. She kneaded the front of her dress with her claws, but she kept her tone and expression calm.

"Yes, unfortunately. As was to be expected I suppose. Especially since the suddenness of this meant I could not tell him beforehand. But I believe he had come to accept my choice by the end of the conversation, and I will do what I can to continue to make efforts to ease him into the idea as much as possible going forward."

She paused, remembering the reaction of her other children. Not nearly as negative, but still just as important to make note of.

"Chara will need some time as well before they are ready to really embrace the idea, but they were much more receptive. Frisk of course was… overjoyed."

Recounting that note couldn't help but bring a smile back to her face. Even now she could feel their infectious joy feed into her own, in a way that made it hard to continue to try and maintain her serious demeanor. The little soul once again stirred within her, their faint magic meeting her own in a way that only furthered those feelings. Asgore smiled right along with her, even if it still didn't quite meet his eyes.

"No surprise there." He said with a deep chuckle. "They will make a wonderful older sibling. And I will make sure to have a talk with Flowey and Chara. I am sure I can help ease any hesitations they are having on my behalf. That might help them accept this a little easier, and they may admit things to me they are a little scared to say to you."

That statement hit her like a strike to the chest, enough to wither the smile right off of her face. He was right of course, no matter how hard she tried to be there for her children and be able to help them with whatever they may need… there were some things that they just weren't going to be comfortable talking with her about. Besides the obvious things regarding the dark paths they had walked in timelines past. Especially when it came to matters involving Asgore and their divorce… it was expected they'd be wary of bringing up such things, at best to avoid upsetting her… And at worst because they still harbored anger towards her for being the one to make the decision to split up their family. It was a decision she couldn't, wouldn't truly regret… but she'd be lying to say it didn't play a role in all this. After all, in that context, her having this child with Sans was only deepening that original divide.

With that in mind, it was… good that they had their father to talk to about it. Without those hesitations holding them back the way they would be with her. The idea still brought a deep pain to her soul, imagining what sort of things they might say in such discussions. Nevertheless, she nodded slowly.

"I am sure you are right…" She conceded, staring down at her paws crossed in her lap. "Thank you Asgore…"

He made a soft sound of acknowledgment, but kept his concerned gaze on her. Now it seemed to be Asgore who was trying to cheer _her_ up. He brought his paws together and shifted a little closer, making bench creak a bit under his great weight.

"Gerson will be happy to hear the news." He said, quickly changing the subject and keeping a more lighthearted tone. "He keeps going on and on about how monsterkind needs a baby boom, to boost up the population. He said something about wanting to see the number of monsters double before he passes on. And that he wouldn't let the reaper come knocking until then."

Despite everything, that did tease a small giggle out of her after a few moments, much to his delight. She kept avoiding his direct gaze though, instead moving her paw to rest against her stomach again, smiling warmly.

"That… does seem like something he would say." She agreed, casting her eyes about the room and remembering what the tortoise monster had looked like back when he too wandered these halls all those centuries ago.

He'd once been such a dear friend to the royal families in those early days, and had been one of the war's most prolific figures. Nowadays he may no longer carry the moniker of "The hammer of justice," but he did still delight children and adults alike with his stories and was enjoying his retirement on the surface in comfort. Toriel felt some guilt that… beyond a few encounters at certain events, she'd not made much of an effort to reconnect with the aging monster.

There was a certain embarrassment that came with facing a monster that was so deeply integrated in the past she'd left behind. All her other former royal colleagues had long since perished during her time in self induced exile, save for a scant few that belonged to long lived species. Gerson being one of them, and perhaps the one closest to her of all. She could only imagine what he might have to say to her, should he drop his usual effervescent personality.

She worried her lip with her fangs, quietly resolving to make an effort to reach out to the old tortoise monster sometime in the near future. There was no telling how much longer Gerson had left after all, no matter how upbeat and lively he presented himself. Long lived as he may be, he was still mortal. Just as she was now.

"Let us hope then that there are more of us than estimated, so it takes quite a long time for the population to double." She said, trying to keep her tone lighthearted even with the more dire thoughts running through her mind.

It seemed to work fair enough, as the darker thoughts didn't linger long. The subject of monsterkind's future as well as the little soul and what they represented on a larger scale couldn't help but stir a deep excitement within her. One that made her little one respond in turn, stirring the magic faintly under Toriel's paw.

"Still, between this and seeing the Dogi's puppies, I am filled with a great deal of hope for the future." She said, lifting her brighter gaze to the grand castle foyer before her. "A future that makes this place seem all the more ancient, does it not?"

Asgore smiled and nodded in return, relaxing a bit on the bench and gazing up at the newly installed brilliant chandelier that sparkled above them. It was new… not exactly the like one Toriel remembered, but its general accuracy and attention to detail in line with what Toriel had described showed how committed Burgundy's team were to doing a good job with this. It was a small thing, but the greater implications there were not lost on either of them.

"I must agree." Asgore said, closing his ancient eyes for a moment. "There is much to look forward too now, even for old souls like us. And I hope those who passed long ago within these castle walls can witness that, and find peace."

Toriel hadn't been expecting that last part, and she blinked at him in surprise. Old grief prodded at her soul in the wake of it, wishing to overwhelm her again. It brought back the thought of her parents that same way it had when she'd been pregnant with Asriel. There was a sorrow in knowing that her parents would never meet their grandchildren. Her father would have been so overjoyed to be a grandfather. He would have spoiled his grandchildren to no end, and shown them the same boundless love he'd shown her growing up. Her mother would have never approved, at least not initially, but there was still a chance she'd steadily be softened to them as time went by.

Hopefully they really were watching from somewhere… and could find it within them to be happy with what they saw.

"Yes… I hope so too." Toriel agreed softly, hardly over a whisper.

After that, she and Asgore slipped into a more comfortable silence, eyes drawn to watching the snow fall outside through one of the refurbished stained glass windows. One depicting a dragon in flight in a variety of colored sections. The snow took on those colors as it fell past the window, making for a truly beautiful and nostalgic sight. They continued to be caught up in admiring the view until suddenly a buzzing sound and a brief musical tone made both boss monsters jump a bit. The noise echoed faintly off the walls, sounding rather alien amongst the ancient stone.

Toriel whipped her head around towards Asgore, the apparent source of the noise. He was suddenly scrambling to get something out of his pocket, and quickly procured his phone. Like her, he'd had to have a bigger one custom made to accommodate his large paws.

He stared at it for a moment, bi-colored eyes scanning whatever message had popped up. His thumbs then quickly began tapping out a reply, and his expression… perplexed her. He seemed pleased with whatever he was reading, but looked nervous as well. He even seemed to be angling the phone away from her a bit, as though trying to keep her from seeing. He had no reason to think she would snoop, so the action only made her more curious.

"Golly, apologies, I still forget how to properly set it to the 'silent' mode." Asgore said sheepishly once he'd sent whatever reply he'd typed out.

Toriel blinked and tilted her head. Something about his reaction still just felt… odd.

"Who was that?" She asked, keeping her tone casual but unable keep a small smile from forming on her face.

She wasn't sure what fueled the smile, but she let it remain all the same, as it furthered the reaction she'd suspected she'd sensed from him. His nervousness increased, and he continued avoiding her gaze. And though it was hard to tell with all his fur, but it looked to her that his ears were starting to turn a little red. He fiddled with his claws as he stammered out an answer.

"Um… well… it was..." He replied hastily, nervous smile becoming a bit more strained. "Someone… I am meeting later."

The way he paused at the end suggested to Toriel there was clearly more to it then that. So she held her questioning gaze and quirked an brow, waiting for him to go on. He only seemed to grow more tense for a few long moments that followed before he finally gave Toriel a long look and then let out a sigh.

"For… a… date…" He admitted, speaking each word slowly as though they were foreign to him.

There it was. Her mind had already been trending towards that suspicion, but their history had prevented her from fully accepting it to be a possibility. Just like her, Asgore had only ever had one partner in his life, decided for him practically since birth. And that was her. So for him to be making the step to try dating again… it was a notable one. Just as it had been for her. Perhaps more so in his case though, since it was clear he'd retained his feelings for her all the time she'd been gone and into their new life on the surface. Did this mean he was finally ready to move on?

For some reason, her reaction ending up manifesting as a few giggles at his expense. Likely simply due to the look on his face. He had always been such a terrible liar. But she managed to compose herself quickly enough. The true good of the situation had had time to settle on her soul, and she addressed him more genuinely. That didn't stop the knowing look from staying in her eyes however.

"It seems we are both already making good on our New Year's resolutions, are we not?" She asked, before leaning over a little closer. "Who are they?"

Asgore sighed, still with that sheepish look on his face. He was more noticeably blushing then, staring down into his lap.

"Don't look so excited about it… I'm about as rusty in this regard as one could be. There is every possibility I will make a terrible mess of it." He said, dodging the question somewhat.

Toriel continued to just look at him in silence with an expectant smile, waiting to hear her first question answered. She wasn't the right monster to counter his self-deprecation, but she did willfully ignore it until he moved on. Again, Asgore sighed. But this time, his smile softened up a little and a bit of his tenseness faded. He looked down at his phone again, with a hesitant fondness in this eyes.

"Her name is Kiah." He said at last, speaking her name with a surprising warmth. "She runs a little tea shop near the capitol building. I've made a habit of stopping to see her most mornings before I head into work. We ended up talking constantly during my visits and have grown to be good friends… she's wonderfully kind and supportive, and has accomplished and endured so many things in her own past. The stories she tells… why I could just about listen to them forever."

His gaze became briefly unfocused on the phone in his paws, clearly remembering something fondly. But then he seemed to realize how caught up he'd become while speaking about this person and quickly cleared his throat.

"A while back she inquired as to my relationship status… and a few days ago… she asked if I'd be interested in a date. And in her case, I didn't feel that same deep hesitance that I had before." He tapped his claws against the edge of the phone, blushing a little more noticeably. "So… I accepted. It was on a whim… but I think I feel good about it."

Toriel chuckled once more, but it was far more in good fun than the first time.

"A fellow tea enthusiast. How fitting." She said, sitting more casually and crossing her paws in her lap. "What sort of monster is she?"

The question seemed to throw Asgore off his train of thought, as he blinked and looked at her with some of his earlier nervousness returned. There was something darker in his eyes too, the familiar deep guilt that so often clouded them.

"She's um… _not_ actually." He clarified, with a small shake of his head. "She's... human."

Toriel blinked in surprise, certainly not expecting to hear _that_. She held his gaze in silence for a few moments, trying to see if he was somehow joking for some reason. But the seriousness there didn't waver. Her mind slowly picked apart the greater implications of what he had said, and she realized then why he'd been especially hesitant to tell her who it was that he was meeting.

It wasn't as if monster and human relationships were not a thing. Before the war and even during it, some brave souls did defy cultural taboos and take on partners from outside their kind completely, facing all the danger and condemnation that came with it. It was an act far more daring and against the norm then the relationships between monsters of different species, and was more outwardly condemned. But as history often proved, true love finds a way. And nowadays, even just during the short time monsters and humans were again integrated into the same society, more and more monsters were forging deep bonds with humans, and even dating them. Despite some lingering unease and dissent from the older members of both societies.

But in Asgore's case it was even more notable, beyond what it would mean for a monster in his position, though for far more unpleasant reasons… He'd suggested before that humans had been among those to ask him out, but given his actions back in the Underground she had just… assumed he'd never accept such offers. Not from the species he'd once so despised… who'd he once declared genocidal war against… whose lives he'd stolen from the most innocent of their kind. She fought the urge to look at his paws, knowing her mind might be tempted to conjure up an image of them soaked in blood. Human blood.

She forced herself to relax, knowing her elevated emotional state was getting the better of her. The last thing she needed to do right now was overreact.

"I see…" Toriel said quietly, once again projecting a dull seriousness. "Does she… know?"

His eyes clouded further at that, as though the barrier holding back his guilt had been punctured by her words. A sad sort of smile remained on his face though, once again giving him the appearance of a weary, aging monster.

"About my past?" He asked, but clearly didn't expect a response. "Yes… some of it from the papers, of course, but most of it from me. How she and so many others of her kind find it in themselves to keep their hearts softened towards me… I don't know. But I am deeply grateful."

Toriel felt the magic within her soul churn uneasily within her, equally perplexed as to how a human could so readily accept and love someone who had committed such atrocities against her kind. But the hypocrisy of that thought was quickly there to slap her in the face. If she didn't believe such a thing to be reasonable, her own love towards her children could be called into question, could it not? Even if in her soul she knew there were differences there she could potentially point to, she decided she still wouldn't let her original hesitation endure.

She was hardly being better than any of the older members of monsterkind who'd never met Frisk personally, who acted appalled at the younger monster generation's willingness to integrate with and have relationships with humans. She had no right to judge this human woman for her choices in who she decides to date, nor should she be discouraging something that could ultimately be so positive for monster-human relations as a whole.

So even though confusion and unease remained in her soul, she set it aside for the moment and faced Asgore with a quiet acceptance in her eyes.

"Well I… I wish you all the best Asgore." She said, managing a small smile again. "No matter how it turns out, it is good to see you are willing to try again."

He blinked, clearly surprised to hear that from her, but then his expression softened with gratitude. There was still that small shadow of guilt in his eyes, as well as a certain sadness for the sense of further finality this represented for their own lost relationship. But Toriel could tell that her words had meant a lot, and had been the encouragement he'd needed.

"Thank you Toriel…" He said quietly, looking near joyful tears. "And I wish you all the same in regards to your new little one. They shall be a great blessing to all of monsterkind."

Toriel couldn't match his level of gratitude, but she did give him a thankful smile of her own. Something between them seemed to ease further then, both old and new. Within her, she felt her little one stir as well, as though sensing the less tense atmosphere. The magic from them seemed to be trying to share happiness with her, and the touching nature of that inevitably lifted her mood right up. There was still a lot to give thought to in regards to all that they had discussed, both on the large and the small scale. But for now… she thought it best for them both to just be happy about the wonderful things they both had to look forward to.

There was something odd about Asgore dating again in general though, she'd admit. She was glad for that to be the case, as it would be good for the both of them, and would finally indicate he was ready to move on as she was. But it still felt strange in a way, to see Asgore speak of someone other than her with that telltale lilt of attraction. She imagined it would be weird for anyone who knew him back when they had been together. Gerson surely would make a witty comment about it at some point once he was clued in. She just hoped this could become the new normal for her ex-husband, and that the populace would also readily accept his choice. And by the stars above, she hoped that nosy robotic celebrity would not ruin things by turning the whole thing into a television spectacle.

Abandoning the thought before it potentially began to stress her out, she politely thanked Asgore in return for his well wishes. But before she could fully finish her statement, they both caught the sound of someone crunching through the snow outside, approaching the castle doors. They turned to see the great doors creaking open, and a familiar face peering through the ever widening crack.

"Oh Toriel! Asgore! There you are!" Doctor Burgundy exclaimed cheerfully, slipping in and shooing away the colleague who'd accompanied her back towards the restoration team's camp.

The aging human made her way over to them, but it was impossible to ignore that there was something different about her. She was supporting herself with a dragon themed walking stick, something she'd hadn't had all the other times Toriel had come to visit the site. She tried not to stare at it, but concern wound its way around her soul. Was the woman's illness getting worse? Toriel suddenly felt a stab of guilt for telling her that she'd be visiting the site today, keeping Burgundy from resting as she clearly should be.

Despite her needing the support to walk now though, Burgundy looked as bubbly and upbeat as ever. With how infectious her smile was, it was hard to focus on the sign of her illness. Toriel stood up to greet her, feeling Asgore to the same beside her.

"Greetings Burgundy." Toriel said, inclining her head a little in greeting. "Thank you for coming today. I do hope I did not trouble you."

The woman laughed and waved off the suggestion, stopping in front of Toriel and taking her paw in order to give it an excited shake, as was the human's typical greeting.

"Not at all! It's always such a pleasure to see you and get to come out here." She assured her, before brushing some snow off her shoulders. "Some weather huh? But anything beats stale hospital air let me tell ya."

Toriel laughed quietly in agreement, though it sounded a bit forced for a variety of reasons. Burgundy's current condition and Toriel's own memories of being hospitalized being key among them. Asgore greeted Burgundy as well, though kept a bit of a distance. The return of the shadows of guilt in his eyes made it clear why. She was sure he must have the faces of all the living relatives of his victims seared into his mind by now. Luckily for his sake, Burgundy didn't seem to be thinking about anything other than their grand surroundings at the moment.

"Isn't it looking great?!" She exclaimed, voice echoing off the ancient stone in a way that made Toriel chuckle. "Gosh, I am so happy with how its all coming together. And just wait until spring gets here and we get all the new greenery blooming outside! Especially in the new memorial garden that's been laid out. It will be incredible!"

She paused a moment, having to balance herself on her walking stick. Toriel moved to try and help support her, but the aging human caught and managed to right herself. She spun around to Toriel as if nothing happened, still with her usual bright smile.

"Of course your opinion is what I am most eager to hear, Toriel!" She said, before tapping a bony hand against her chest. "Go on and lay it on me. This old girl can take criticism!"

Again, Toriel found herself laughing cheerfully, so very impressed with how upbeat Burgundy could be all things considered.

"I think it is looking wonderful Burgundy. It feels more and more like the place I remember every time I visit." She assured her, gazing around the room again with a soft, nostalgic smile. "And it also seems to have gained a new spirit all its own."

Burgundy beamed in response, pride radiating off of her like rays of sunlight. She looked about to launch into one of her usual excited updates regarding the work being done and the plans for the near and far future, but something made her pause. She squinted at Toriel and rubbed her chin, her smile taking on a playfully suspicious look.

"Hmm…" She said, drumming her fingers against her walking stick. "You have a sparkle in your eyes today, Toriel! You look like you are positively glowing."

Toriel blinked and then blushed a bit, not expecting the sudden compliment. Burgundy leaned closer, as if studying her like she did the various artifacts recovered from the castle.

"What's going on?" She prodded, a knowing tone to her voice. "I know it isn't just my fantastic work on the castle that's making you that happy."

With those words, Toriel finally caught on to what the human must be sensing. She rubbed one of her long ears self-consciously, but gave a bright, warm smile of her own.

"Oh dear… is it that obvious?" She asked with a giggle. "Well… the truth is Burgundy, I found out recently I am expecting a child."

Burgundy's eyes went wide behind her glasses and her mouth fell open.

"Whaaaaat?!" She exclaimed, all but jumping up a bit in excitement. "You mean from that little skeleton?"

Toriel nodded, feeling all warm and bubbly inside to be able to talk so freely and happily about the baby. There was a moment where Burgundy paused, likely trying to work out the logistics of how such different monsters had conceived, from a human mindset. But she abandoned the task just as fast and returned to bubbling over with enthusiasm.

"Holy cow! That's amazing! Congratulations!" She said, eyes sparkling as she grabbed Toriel's paws and happily shook them both.

Toriel allowed the action, even if it did confuse her a bit. Seeing someone else share in her joy as much as Frisk had was such a welcome change of pace from having to reveal it almost as though it was bad news to others. She could hear Asgore give a soft chuckle behind her, but he otherwise maintained his silence. Burgundy eventually released her paws and clutched her own hands together, eyes sparkling.

"Gosh, stuff like that just makes this old heart happy." She said, with a few more exuberant chuckles. "And what a wonderful note for future history!"

After a few moments though, her expression did shift a bit, as though something had occurred to her. She kept her smile in place, but it seemed weaker than before.

"Though… that means you aren't immortal anymore, huh?" She noted, leaning on her walking stick a bit more. "Does it… hurt knowing you're giving up something like eternal life?"

The question was not one Toriel was expecting, but it was one she was prepared to answer. It was only natural those who had not been afflicted with immortality would be confused by the urge to be rid of it. Especially in Burgundy's case… someone who was fighting to maintain her life as long as possible. The polar opposite nature of their goals struck her, and manifested some guilt within her soul. She worried her lip with her fangs, trying to work out a response that was honest but wouldn't come off as insensitive to Burgundy's plight.

"Not for me. It was never something I desired. It was only something I regained because of such terrible tragedy." She began slowly, forcing some of her old royal confidence back into her voice. "I have lived for many centuries now… the last of which I spent alone and isolated… I am ready to live out my life, grow old along with all the friends and family I have made, and pass on when my time comes alongside them."

She winced a bit at the last part, realizing how what she'd just said could be considered thoughtless in this context.

"I apologize if that is..." She began, but Burgundy waved her hand dismissively.

"Ah don't sweat it. I get what you're saying. No matter how much I research stuff like that, immortality and and elevated longevity in general is just something we humans aren't going to fully understand." She said, her eyes showing a rare hint of weariness. "I'm just happy that you're happy."

The tight coil of guilt in Toriel's chest still remained, and she opened her mouth to apologize further, but it seemed Burgundy wasn't having that.

"So!" The aging historian interjected, clapping her hands together and quickly changing the subject. "Should I give you a quick tour and rundown of some of the things we've worked on since the last time you've stopped by? At least what is inside anyway. No sense in freezing our buns off out there just to look at some lanterns and polished up stone."

Toriel blinked, surprised to see Burgundy change her tone so quickly. But from what she had come to know of the human over the passing months, she conceded it wasn't surprising. Burgundy was not one to dwell on anything even with all she was facing, and Toriel had no desire to give her a reason to now.

"I would love that. Thank you, my friend." She agreed, stepping over to stand beside her before looking back at her ex-husband, who was still lingering some distance away. "Will you be joining us Asgore?"

The other boss monster reacted as though he didn't expect to be addressed, but he quickly offered a polite smile.

"Well, I would love to but… I am afraid I should be getting back… I have something I should be getting ready for." He said, glancing at Toriel with a somewhat embarrassed look before addressing Burgundy again. "I will make plans to stop by again sometime soon though if you would like, perhaps when the children are with me next week."

Burgundy beamed and gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Sounds great! I'll be sure to bring Dozer then! He'll be happy as a clam to see those kids again." She said, leaning on her walking stick as she chuckled a few times. "Be careful out there now though, driving in snow is no joke."

Asgore nodded and assured her he would be alright, promising he'd be mindful and drive slowly. He gave Toriel a long look then, then a simple smile. One that said all that needed to be said. He then turned to leave, but something compelled Toriel to speak up.

"Asgore, wait." She said, hearing the faint echo of her voice off the castle walls.

He stopped and turned to look at her over his shoulder, expression curious. Toriel hesitated a moment, assessing the weight of what she intended to say. After glancing in the direction of one of the elegantly re-constructed castle windows, she managed to get the words out.

"Before you go… if you think you can… I think you should visit Adean's grave." She said.

Asgore's eyes widened a bit, and he looked at her incredulously. Toriel continued speaking before he could impulsively object though, hoping he would hear her out before becoming indignant.

"Each time I come here, I tend to sense that their spirit still roams this place, imprisoned by guilt." She continued, gazing up briefly at the spot near the throne room's entrance where she'd first seen the apparition.

The spot was empty now, but Toriel still felt as though they were near, watching them all from somewhere in the castle.

"I know their actions cannot ever truly be forgiven, but I think hearing whatever words you have for them after all this time, no matter how harsh, could aid them in finally passing on. And there are words inscribed on the stone of their grave that I think would be good for you to see."

Asgore said nothing for a few moments, and his eyes visibly darkened as he turned his head to face the entrance again. She could see tension in his posture, a small visible sign of the ancient pain and anger she knew still existed inside him, even now. It all proved her suspicion that despite him coming here before, he hadn't visited the final resting place of their former friend turned traitor. His paws curled into loose fists briefly at his sides, and it seemed as if no one dared to breathe for a few moments. Even Burgundy stayed quiet, watching with a mixture of concern and interest.

"Very well." He said suddenly in an even deeper voice than usual, making Toriel and Burgundy jump a bit.

He quickly softened his tone though, along with his general posture. He turned to look at them almost apologetically, having regained his usual demeanor. But the weight of the request remained in his eyes, and she knew he was putting up something of a false front. He did seem set on the idea however, and he certainly believed what she'd said, that much was clear. She only hoped it wasn't for wholly vengeful or hateful reasons. That would inevitably need to be part of it, as it was for her own visit. But there was more closure to be found there than just that of the venting of centuries of unresolved anger.

"I have avoided that spot long enough... I suppose… there are a few things I could stand to get off my chest." He admitted with a weak sort of smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

It didn't stay that way though, as his expression did seem to shift towards something more genuine as he gave Toriel his focus again. He politely inclined his head a bit towards her before turning to leave.

"Goodbye Toriel…" He said over his shoulder as he walked, offering one last real looking smile. "And congratulations again."

She dipped her head a bit in return and as thanks before watching him go. The sight of a boss monster other than her once again walking towards the ancient door filled her with memories of all kinds. So much so that she nearly forgot to reply.

"Farewell Asgore." She said, just loud enough to be heard. "And good luck…"

The great doors of the castle creaked open just enough to allow Asgore to leave, then closed behind him with a resonating sound that seemed to shake through Toriel's body and soul. Her little one also seemed to detect it, sending out an uneven pulse of magic that summoned up a faint wave of nausea in Toriel. Things had gone well, far better than expected even! And she had more hope than ever that the future was bright for her and for the little soul. But still, Asgore would hurt over this, along with what she had just suggested to him. No amount of trying dating again and finding it in himself to move on at long last was going to change that.

She hoped for his sake as well as everyone else's that this "Kiah" woman could make Asgore happy. If not for the long term, then enough for him to feel confident in continuing to seek out that sort of happiness for himself. Her feelings towards him may continue to be strained and mixed, but she felt another small sense of peace as she wished him well.

After he'd left, she allowed herself a moment to let the heavier emotions roll off for the time being, turning to follow Burgundy as she gave her the usual update tour. She listened to her friend as she spoke of all the new work that had been completed on the castle, and what was to come. Hearing her energy and enthusiasm for the ancient place made Toriel feel a little conflicted. Burgundy's excitement was infectious, but it could not erase the lingering shadows that haunted this place, of the souls who'd lost their lives there. Each new curtain covered a window once shattered and scorched by flame. Each carpet laid down hid the evidence of blood and dust spilt across the stone. It felt strange… that a human born centuries after this castle was erected, was more invested in its restoration than the monster who'd once lived here.

Still, the more the castle changed into something new and beautiful, the more those feelings fell into the background. Toriel could hardly ask for better for this place, turning from a crumbling relic of a dark time passed into something all its own. And perhaps there was some poetic resolution in the fact that Burgundy and her team of human researchers were the ones working on it. Just as humans had been the ones to reduce the castle to a lifeless husk, humans were now the ones helping to build it back up again.

She did her best to stay in that frame of mind, finding some comfort in it as she had when she'd first met Burgundy. Toriel hardly felt good about making the somewhat frail woman walk all around the place though. It took some convincing, but she got her friend to agree to just walking the bottom floor today, rather than tackle the entire upstairs as well. It was a good idea to keep today's visit shorter, not just out of consideration of Burgundy's condition and the falling snow outside, but she also needed to head back home before long to see if a certain dear skeleton of hers had managed to tell his brother he was going to be an uncle, did she not?

Burgundy eagerly insisted on showing her the updates to the throne room though, meaning they'd have to face at least one flight of stairs. Toriel agreed, but only if Burgundy allowed her to assist her during the climb. The aging human huffed indignantly at that, assuring her she'd be fine. The fact she eventually gave in made Toriel even more intrigued as to what they'd managed to finish in there. If Burgundy was willing to sacrifice her personal pride to ensure Toriel saw it. They decided to save it for a last stop on the day's tour.

Once they'd swept every room on the ground floor and Toriel happily listened to Burgundy recount all the developments that had been made, Toriel, as agreed, assisted her friend getting up the stairs to the throne room. The human was surprisingly capable of handling it on her own, only visibly shaking a little in her legs as she traversed it at her own pace. Toriel just supported her with a paw on her back

Upon reaching the throne room though, Toriel felt herself stop dead in her tracks, eyes widening. The room truly had gone through a lot of improvements since she'd last been there, even more so than the main entry hall. Everything seemed to be touched up and cleaned of centuries worth of grime and dust, a fresh coat of paint seemed to revive the orginal golds, purples, and whites of the room she could remember, and the thrones had been reupholstered and had tended to so that they hardly looked like ancient relics at all. Even a new grand golden chandelier had been hung up, not affixed with lights just yet, but still brilliant as it faintly shone in the muted sunlight from the windows.

But none of that was the reason she had stopped.

Stretching proudly across the wall and ceiling behind the royal thrones was the most striking feature of the room. The grand stained glass portrait of a much younger Toriel and her family. Before today, the passing of ages had reduced it to a nearly indistinguishable, shattered mess. But now… it had been truly restored to its former glory.

As if it had somehow been snatched up from the past and brought to the now, Toriel found herself staring at the piece nearly just as it appeared in her memories. Dazzling in its colors as it caught the soft winter light and exquisite in its details. So detailed in fact… it was almost uncanny, and she felt as though she or her parents could blink or move at any moment. She stared into the glass eyes of her mother and father, eyes she hadn't seen outside her dreams and memories for centuries…

"It's beautiful, huh?" Burgundy's voice startled her a bit as she walked up behind her.

It was only then Toriel realized she had walked into the room and around the thrones in order to stare up at the stained glass window. She looked at her friend, feeling a little embarrassed, but found it hard to tear her eyes away from the sight before her.

"Marie did an amazing job." Burgundy went on, using a more personal warm tone than she had before. "Took her nearly four whole months of non-stop work, and she managed to clean up and still use all the original pieces that still remained. This is why I was so excited to get your message. I knew I had to be here when you finally got to see it."

Toriel blinked, not sure what to say, not even sure of her ability to say anything. Her head felt like it was in a gale, and she found her gaze irresistibly drawn back up to the stained glass window. A great mix of emotions rolled through her, landing more harshly with how the little soul she was nourishing affected her. It wasn't until the image of her and her parents blurred that she realized just how hard her emotions were impacting her. She knew not which emotion was responsible for the sudden tears. Negative or positive. Perhaps it was a mixture of all of them.

"Oh dear, is something off with it?" Burgundy asked as Toriel wiped at her eyes.

She quickly shook her head, doing her best to give the human a reassuring look.

"N-no, not at all. Forgive me." She said, clearing her throat and grasping back some composure. "It is beautiful, even an improvement on the original I would say. It has just… been so long since I had last seen it like this…"

It wasn't the full truth, as she still didn't fully understand why she was feeling so affected beyond the excuse of the baby's affect on her. But it held true enough that she didn't feel bad offering it as an answer. Burgundy smiled and gave her a sympathetic pat on the arm.

"I getcha, hun." Her friend assured her, understanding in her amber eyes. "I'll give you a minute. Come and meet me downstairs when you're ready and I'll walk you out."

As grateful as Toriel was for Burgundy's offer, she couldn't help but feel another spike of concern at that last part. She turned, opening her mouth to protest the aging human going down the castle steps by herself, but Burgundy once again cut her off without even looking back.

"Don't you fuss over me! I agreed you could help me up, not down!" She said with a brief peal of raspy laughter. "I'll be fine."

Toriel still didn't like the idea, but recognized she couldn't insist further without insulting her friend's pride. So she turned back towards the brilliant sight before her, though still while listening carefully to the taps of Burgundy's shoes and cane as she descended the stairs. Eventually the sounds indicated she'd reached the bottom safely, and Toriel felt herself be drawn in by the stained glass window again, as if everything else in the world fell away.

Her parents' eyes, rendered in glass, seem to stare straight through her. Even in this artistic depiction, her father's gaze seemed strong and kindly, while her mother's was sharp and judging. Toriel saw little in her own glass reflection, simply the innocent happiness and hint of rebelliousness that one would expect from a young child.

That thought led her to give focus towards the little soul within her, stirring faintly as always whenever Toriel sought them out. She stood there in silence for a few long moments, laying her paw on her stomach and continuing to gaze up at the image of her parents. Then, just like she had at Adean's grave, she suddenly felt the urge to speak.

"These are your grandparents, my child." She said, as though her little one could hear her. "You shall never get to meet them in this life, I am afraid, but I will someday tell you much about them, so that you may know them on some level."

The little soul continued to distantly stir, and Toriel could almost believe they understood. Her voice echoed faintly off the rounded walls of the room, somehow making her feel more alone. As well as more silly for what she was doing. More words bubbled up inside her though. Things she'd never had the chance to say in all the centuries since she'd last seen her parents. Seeing them there, even simply as artistic glass depictions, made the sudden need to speak all the more. So even though she didn't feel their presences within the castle walls as she had the fallen human king, she decided to address them.

"Goodbye mother, father..." She said, closing her eyes briefly and letting the words hang for a few moments before continuing. "I know it is usually customary to begin with a greeting. I am sorry… But I never got to say it that day."

It was a fact that had haunted her, ever since she'd last laid eyes on the castle during that time. Fleeing with Asgore and Gerson, and seeing her home up in flames, filling the night sky with morbid colors and thick black smoke. She'd been whisked away so quickly for her own safety that she had only seen her father's back as he shouted orders to his soldiers and the royal guard. She had never even seen her mother at all that terrible night. Her last memories of her were memories of how her mother always had been at that time. Sitting alone, cold, quiet and acting as though anyone who dared to even breathe in her direction was out to get her. Even now Toriel could remember how her mother's bitter, empty eyes had silently demanded she leave the room, paired with a single scowl.

Toriel had obeyed, feeling defeated. She had no way of knowing it would be the last time she'd ever see her mother.

Memories continued to roll through her, some of which she hadn't thought about in centuries. There were perhaps endless things she could say to them, but no clear answer of where to start rose up to the forefront of her mind. Eventually, as her gaze once again met her mother's harsh eyes, perfectly captures in intricate glasswork, words began to tumble out unbidden.

"I do not know what you must think of me now… after all that has happened. I have lived up to all of your fears about me, have I not, mother?"

The words were more morose then they were biting, but she still wore a rueful sort of smile and felt a certain level of vindication from speaking those words aloud. Near the end of her mother's life, Toriel had almost been fearful of her. Not for her scars or disfigurement, but for the icy distance she kept from Toriel and her father. It had been one thing when her mother would argue with her like she had before she was attacked, but the silent judgement had cut Toriel far deeper.

Now though, Toriel liked to think she'd grown from all her life experience enough to defend herself to her mother and say the things her younger self couldn't. She decided to keep it brief though, and do her best not to lose herself to anger. The monster she was speaking to was long dead and gone, these words were truly for Toriel's sake of closure.

"I know I have ended up far from the ideal you used to dream up for me, and I have certainly made a great deal of mistakes and have faced great suffering…" She went on, before drawing herself up and squaring her shoulders. "But I do not regret my choices in life. All have led me where I am today, and I have found great happiness and love once again."

She felt a sense of satisfying catharsis with all that. But upon looking up into those unblinking glass eyes, her shoulders slowly sagged again, as the true sadness of the situation became apparent to her again. She felt a particularly strong pulse of her child's magic once more, and it nearly brought back the tears to her eyes.

"I hope… you can be happy for me too." She said in a far quieter tone, dropping her gaze briefly to the floor below.

She closed her eyes again, feeling a bit of shame among everything else that her mother could still affect her this way, even now. Feeling there was little more that could be said to her beyond what would certainly dredge up old pains that were far better left forgotten. For now anyway… Instead she turned to look at her father's image instead, immediately feeling comforted by his familiar gentle gaze.

He would have liked Sans… she was sure of it. Their personalities aligned rather well. And as much as he'd be hesitant for a number of reasons, she knew in her soul that he would have approved of Toriel's choices, if it meant she would be happy. Her father may have been king with the usual expectations of royalty on his shoulders for him and his family, but ensuring her happiness had always been the priority for him. Even when it meant defying tradition, or her razor tongued mother.

"Father, if you are listening… please watch over us." She said, looking into the window's depiction of his bright green eyes. "Though we have achieved freedom… true peace is still something we must all keep working towards, even ordinary teachers like myself."

That last part was perhaps another little dig at her former royal history, but she figured it was just as much the truth. She had shed her crown, and now could only influence her former citizens by educating the children. As much as her father would be saddened to know what led her to this, she knew he'd be equally proud to see what she'd accomplished. For him to have been able to witness her teaching a class of young humans and monsters, learning together, it would have seemed like a miracle to him. That thought made her soul feel warm within her, and brought back a reminder of a memory that had once been lost to her.

"I have done my best… to keep my promise to you." She said, recalling his desperate words that day. "And you were right all along. It was only through a bond of love between a human and all the monsters they met that we eventually found our way to freedom. I wish you were here to see how the world has changed. I know this is what you always dreamed of and worked so hard to try and achieve."

She smiled warmly up at his image, and blinked back a few fresh tears that had welled up.

"I will keep doing what I can to honor that." She vowed, using one of her long ears to dab at her eyes. "Though I am no longer royalty, I run my school with the same morals I applied to ruling, and I hope I can help the next generation exceed us in every way. Including your grandchildren, both present and future."

With that, Toriel felt as though she'd said all she needed to. She had already begun this one sided conversation with a goodbye, it felt silly to repeat it. Plus the reality of the situation was rapidly catching up with her again. She had the sense of finality she'd been craving, but by leaving the word out at the end, it gave the feeling that this wasn't truly the end. There was still much she wished to say, and now that she had a place for it, she could return again at any time. This had been enough for today though, and she was glad her child had gotten to, in some way, experience it with her.

She looked down at her middle, resting her paw on it again. The gesture was starting to feel as normal for her as it had all those decades ago when she'd first carried Asriel, and would only become more normal as she began to show in the coming months. After a few moments of quiet reflection, Toriel suddenly felt something bright meet her eyes, causing her to squint. She looked back up at the stained glass window and realized where the light was coming from.

It had stopped snowing outside, and gray clouds had broken up enough that sunlight was shining through the stained glass again. It cast the room in a wave of color, just like she remembered it had done when she was a child. The portrait of her and her parents seemed to be more vibrant and true to life than ever. Toriel's younger self in the center seemed to catch the most of it, marking her image as the centerpiece of the design, but for much happier reasons then the last time. It was almost as if her father, or even if she dared to dream, _both_ of her parents even, were sending her some kind of sign that'd they'd heard all she'd said.

She knew it was likely just a pleasant coincidence, as she didn't sense that her parent's spirits wandered this place as Adean did. But the sight brought some peace to her soul, and she wouldn't give herself a reason to discredit that for now. Hopefully Asgore was achieving some level of that as well outside at the former human king's grave.

Toriel turned and descended the stairs back towards the main room, feeling another small sense of peace wash over her soul, leaving it a little lighter. In that moment, the lingering shadows that hung over the castle seemed to become a little less dark. Coming here today had been a good choice.

She resolved to come back to the throne room to see the grand stained glass portrait again, once her child was born.


	9. Break through

All was silent in the house, as it seemed everyone was holding their breath, waiting and watching the pair of skeletons out on the porch. Even Flowey, embittered as he continued to be towards the whole affair, was fully transfixed. He was still as stone, while Frisk was struggling to contain their excited energy. Toriel held them both in her arms from her place on the couch, anxiously keeping her own gaze glued to the window across from them. There she could see the two skeleton brothers, seemingly just enjoying one of their usual chats and admiring the sight of the freshly fallen snow on the ground. But the stiffness in Sans' posture betrayed the truth behind why he'd asked his brother to join him outside.

Sans was making another attempt to tell Papyrus about the baby. She'd witnessed him steadily lose the will and confidence to do it the first time he'd tried, as well as how he lamented his failures afterwards. It had taken another day for him to work up the nerve to try again. Even during all that time Toriel was off meeting Asgore at the castle, and the brothers had had the house to themselves for a long while, Sans hadn't managed to get himself to do it. Those old, secretive, apathetic habits of his, especially regarding his brother, were proving hard to shake.

But he was trying again now, and that's what mattered. Hearing her recount how her own conversation had gone with Asgore had helped to inspire that for sure. They both wanted to be able to move forward with this, and start the true preparations for the baby's arrival. Telling Papyrus was necessary to that, and perhaps the last major step in all this before they could fully shift focus. The question was, could Sans manage to do it tonight?

"10G says he bails again." Flowey said suddenly, breaking the previously established silence.

"Shhh…" Toriel quickly shushed him, in a gentle but firm manner. "Do not be mean, my child. This is not an easy task."

The flower monster rolled his eyes a bit, settling his chin on one of his newly slightly changed leaves. All of them returned their gazes to the scene outside, watching the two skeletons' expressions and body language closely.

"I believe he will be able to do it though. He seemed quite determined after we talked earlier." She reminded her children as well as herself, though she'd be lying to say she didn't have some doubts about Sans going through with this without ducking out again like he had before.

Outside, he was grinning his usual grin, though it was strained, and growing more so by the second. He was terribly stiff, and that alone told her what she needed to know about how he was taking all this. But from the nerves in his expression, it seemed evident he was about to spill the beans, or at least, try to once again. The couch under her and her children groaned as they all instinctively leaned forward to see if they could catch some of the words being exchanged, but they were still too muffled.

"Ugh, I can't hear what they are saying... " Flowey huffed in frustration before extending out two vines and snaking them across the room towards the window.

Toriel typically didn't like when he did such things, especially in the house, but she supposed she could forgive it this time if only for the fact that she was rather eager to hear what was being said as well. Flowey's vine undid the latch and carefully began to lift it in a way that made as little noise as possible. The same could not be said for the sound that suddenly split the air as soon as Flowey had gotten the window open a few inches.

"WHAAAAT?!" Papyrus' high pitched mixture of a gasp and exclamation made them all jump a bit.

Of course, the skeleton hadn't noticed them react, and spoke on without missing a beat. The words tumbled out of him in a rush, his sockets stretched wide and his jaw opened and closed in a frenzy as he tried to sort out what he had just been told. His reaction said it all, Sans had told him. She felt a warm sense of pride in him for that, and continued to listen out of curiosity.

"S-SANS, TH-THIS BETTER NOT BE SOME SET UP FOR A JOKE!" Papyrus demanded, picking up Sans and looking at him intensely as though searching for a sign he was being misled. "I SWEAR IF THIS IS SOME EARLY "FOOLS DAY" THING THEN-"

"nah bro, not this time, promise." Sans interrupted him, offering a rather shaky, but sincere smile. "th-this is… real."

There was a pause where both the brothers and the spectators within the house all held their breath. Papyrus continued to stare at his brother, slow to believe what he was being told. But when Sans' expression held firm, without his telltale jovial grin or any amused chuckling, it finally sank in for Papyrus that his brother was being serious. His shocked, unsure expression slowly turned to a huge smile and his sockets filled with excited sparkles.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE IT! A BABY?!" Papyrus gasped loud enough to make a few birds flutter out of the nearby barren willow tree.

He cackled in his signature way, his overwhelming exuberance briefly robbing the winter of its chill. He spun Sans around and took to the air for a few moments with a joyful flutter of his legs, briefly defying gravity in the manner that only he seemed to be capable of. Sans chuckled along the whole time, clearly equal parts amused by and grateful for his brother's reaction.

"A BABY! MY BROTHER, A FATHER?! COULD IT ACTUALLY BE TRUE?! THIS IS AMAZING, FANTASTIC! I NEVER DARED TO DREAM OF SUCH A THING!" He exclaimed once he landed back on the ground, squeezing Sans tight to him. "AND I'M GOING TO BE AN UNCLE! OH SANS I'M GOING TO BE AN UNCLE! I WILL BE THE MOST STUPENDOUS FANTASTIC MARVELOUS COOLEST UNCLE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! NYEH HEH HEH!"

By that point, she was sure every one of their neighbors, perhaps all of Newer Home, was hearing Papyrus' declarations. She could imagine Asgore sitting at home, or perhaps even still with his date if things were going well, sipping tea and hearing Papyrus in the distance, just as he had predicted he would. The idea paired with the scene unfolding before her made her own soul feeling like it was sharing in Papyrus' excitement.

From what she could feel from Frisk's soul, they shared a similar reaction. Chara's influence was more faint, but still carried good natured amusement with it. Flowey remained distant, watching in what seemed to be annoyed silence. But even he still seemed interested.

"PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT DREAMING!" Papyrus went on, holding Sans out at arm length in order to address him. "I AM SO FULL OF EXCITEMENT, I FEEL LIKE I MIGHT EXPLODE!"

Sans' grin widened, full of relief and clearly feeling a lot of Papyrus' excitement along with him. The earlier tension and nerves that had been building over the past few days in regards to telling his brother the big news were finally starting to melt off of him.

"heh, y-you're not dreaming bro." He assured him from where he hung in his brother's grip. "and uh… i'm real glad you're happy, but don't explode, okay? you've already started your unclehood with a _bang_ , heh."

Surprisingly, the pun didn't have its usual effect on Papyrus. Though Toriel certainly had to muffle a giggle into her paw, much to Flowey's exasperation.

"NONE OF YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS CAN RUIN THIS MOMENT SANS!" Papyrus loudly declared, not to be swayed from his enthusiasm. "THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST DAYS EVER! NO WONDER YOU WERE SO NERVOUS LAST NIGHT. I WAS CONVINCED YOU WERE COMING DOWN WITH SOMETHING!"

Sans chuckled softly, though some guilt became evident in his eyelights. Hearing that from his brother was clearly all too familiar.

"yah sorry about that. I really wanted to tell ya, i just… got real nervous is all." He admitted as Papyrus set him down on the railing of the porch. "this whole thing is amazing, but it's still sinking in ya know? the little guy is super lucky they get to have you as an uncle, you'll do great with them once they're here."

That finally gave Papyrus a moment of pause from his excited flailing about. He blinked and looked at Sans for a moment before plopping a gloved hand on his brother's shoulder.

"YOU WILL TOO SANS! I KNOW YOU STRUGGLE WITH BEING LAZY AND STILL GRAPPLE WITH YOUR TROUBLES HERE AND THERE, BUT YOU ARE GETTING MUCH BETTER AT PUTTING EFFORT INTO THE IMPORTANT THINGS." He assured him, before his smile returned to its previous intensity. "AND THIS IS MOST CERTAINLY THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THINGS!"

Sans chuckled once and nodded, his own eyelights starting to shimmer lightly.

"it sure is…" He agreed. "thanks bro."

The two were quiet for a moment, other than Papyrus' soft rattling from excitement. Then the younger brother leaned forward and hugged Sans again, more gently this time, but all the same emotion.

"AND THANK _YOU_ BROTHER, FOR NOT KEEPING THIS FROM ME." Papyrus said softly, likely only caught by Toriel's powerful ears.

He was blocking their view of Sans, but Toriel could imagine how such a thing would affect him. It was enough that it took him a moment to return his brother's hug, and she noticed he held on to him extra tight.

"yah bro, you're welcome." She just caught his reply, muffled and soft as it was.

She smiled warmly, which made her children look up at her in confusion. She gave them both a consoling little pat, ensuring them all was going well outside. The brothers stayed locked in that embrace for a while, and neither one of them had dry sockets by the time they separated. When Papyrus did let go though and help his brother off the porch railing, realization flashed in his sockets like two great starbursts.

"OH I MUST GO CONGRATULATE TORIEL! SHE MUST BE SO HAPPY!" He exclaimed, before turning on his heel and rushing for the door.

Toriel knew the skeleton would be there in a flash, so she promptly looked down at Frisk and Flowey where they rested on her lap.

"I think you may need to let me stand up, children." She said with a giggle.

Frisk happily obeyed, picking up and taking Flowey with them. They managed to scoot off of her just in time for her to get to her feet and face the skeleton rushing towards her from the front door.

"TORIEL!" He cried out cheerfully, before something made him skid to a stop in front of her so fast that he nearly fell on his face.

"OH! I MUSTN'T HUG YOU TOO TIGHTLY!" He reasoned before stepping forward and giving her a gentle, but still intensely excited hug. "I HOPE THIS SUFFICES!"

She hardly had time to return it before he was already off speaking a mile a minute once again, and she had to pay close attention in order to keep up.

"OH TORIEL, SANS TOLD ME! YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY! THAT'S SO AMAZING! SO SO SO AMAZING!" He babbled joyfully, bouncing in place a bit.

Something seemed to occur to him then and he stopped abruptly in place, narrowing his sockets a bit and rubbing his chin as he looked her over.

"IT IS _YOU_ HAVING THE BABY… RIGHT?"

Toriel couldn't help but laugh at that, and quickly nodded.

"Yes, Papyrus." She confirmed, still with a lilt of laughter to her voice. "I am so glad he was finally able to tell you."

Once he'd weakened his grip on her, she gestured to the couch she'd just been sitting on, making Papyrus aware of her children also bearing witness to all this. Frisk smiled and waved up at him with a giggle, Flowey just rolled his eyes.

"Do you think you can sit down long enough for me to tell you what we know?" Toriel asked the still ever vibrating Papyrus, catching sight of Sans far more slowly making his way into the house through the front door behind him.

She shared a brief congratulatory look with her dear skeleton, one that he met with a relieved smile. That whole ordeal had clearly exhausted him, but the joyful feelings that followed were more than making up for it. He ambled over and flopped back into the couch with a dramatic sigh, all but sinking into it. He was acting in total contrast to his endlessly excitable brother, who all but leapt at Toriel's offer to hear the full story.

"YES! CERTAINLY YES!" Papyrus exclaimed, dramatically plopping down beside the children and causing them to bounce up from the couch a bit.

After silently establishing a shared joy over the situation with Frisk, the skeleton quickly scooped up Flowey in his pot, holding him close in another exuberant hug.

"OH FLOWEY MY FRIEND, ISN'T THIS JUST THE MOST WONDERFUL NEWS?!" He gushed, sockets still sparkling.

Flowey didn't respond for a moment, just grumbled as his face was squished against Papyrus'. But after looking between Toriel and Sans with a dull expression, he rolled his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

"Sure…" He mumbled, hardly sounding like he was paying much attention at all.

Toriel gave him a sympathetic glance, one he didn't bother to meet. As much as she wished she had the words to address her son's uncertainty about all this, she decided to simply move on with recounting everything to Papyrus. Calling attention to Flowey's behavior had a chance of dampening Papyrus' excitement, and she would avoid that, if at all possible. So she began to tell him all about the string of circumstances that had resulted in the little soul she was now carrying within her.

She spared little detail, wanting to uphold Sans' growing honesty with his brother. Even if some of it was embarrassing on both their behalfs. Papyrus kept smiling brightly and exuding excitement all the while, but it was clear by the end of it some of the reality of the situation had sank in. He tapped a gloved hand against his chin in thought.

"I SEE… SO THIS WAS INITIALLY DONE SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE IMMORTAL ANYMORE." He mused, nodding to himself. "AND IT WAS ALL PLANNED ON SOME LEVEL? I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT… BUT IF THAT WAS THE CASE, WHY WOULD YOU NOT TELL ME ABOUT THIS BEFOREHAND SANS?!"

Sans jumped a bit as his brother's words were suddenly directed towards him again. He recovered quickly enough though, rubbing the back of his neck as all eyes turned towards him.

"well, we may have planned it, but things didn't exactly work out the way we thought." He explained, settling his hands back in his hoodie pockets. "we were kind of working up to a certain time, and until then we had the chance to back out. i didn't want to get you all excited over something that i didn't know for sure would happen. but uh… obviously that wasn't how it worked out in the end, heh."

From Frisk's lap, Flowey suddenly chimed in before Papyrus could offer a reply.

"Plus you would have blabbed it to everyone." He said flatly, picking idly at the dirt in his pot with the newly formed digits on his leafy paws.

Sans narrowed his sockets at the flower monster with irritation, clearly not appreciating his addition. Toriel was about to scold her son for his words as well, as she did to dissuade all the harsh things that came out of his mouth, but Papyrus cut in before she could.

"OH NEVER MIND IT SANS, EVEN UNDYNE KEPT THIS FROM ME, SO I'LL JUST CONSIDER IT A WONDERFUL SURPRISE." He declared, quickly moving on from the subject and giving in once again to excitement. "OH WE MUST PREPARE RIGHT?! WHERE WILL THE BABY SLEEP?! WHAT WILL YOU BE NAMING THEM?!

With that, he'd restored everyone's moods back to a lighthearted excitement over the news. All except for Flowey of course, who simply once again slipped into a disdainful silence. Frisk stroked his petals a few times in an attempt to comfort him as Sans chuckled in response to his brother.

"slow down there bro." The older skeleton said, looking winded just from listening to Papyrus. "yah there's a lot to do… and we uh… haven't exactly figured everything out yet. we only found out yesterday after all."

Toriel smiled weakly in agreement, but then reached over and settled her paw on Sans' shoulder. All the discussion was starting to make him a little tense again, as his mind no doubt raced to try and find the answers. Answers to things he would no doubt be kicking himself for not giving more focus already. But her touch seemed to remind him to relax, as the tension in his small frame eased under her paw.

"Yes, but I can provide an answer for that first one at least." She said warmly, looking back at Papyrus. "The baby will sleep in my room until they are old enough to have their own space. As for their name, me and Sans agreed we will wait until they are born to decide that."

Papyrus seemed satisfied, and Sans seemed happy that she had answers to provide. Truthfully, her own mind wanted nothing more than to drift into a spiral of worry over ensuring everything was prepared and accounted for before the little one was born. It was her nature to worry incessantly over even the little things, so the potential for how stressed she could potentially become over preparedness in this case was endless.

But she kept such thoughts at bay, finding that it helped to be able to reassure Sans. In a way, the words also reassured herself. Papyrus' boundless excitement over the news made it easier as well, only furthered when she allowed him a chance to feel the little soul's faint magic like she had with the others. It was clearly a new experience for him, minus the time he'd done the same back when Dogaressa was carrying her pups. But seeing as the child growing within Toriel was to be his brother's child, it was easy to understand why the skeleton failed to keep his sockets dry throughout the experience. Hardly any of them could manage it.

The tone was light and the atmosphere cheery in the wake of it. As they all continued to discuss what this new incredible addition to their family would bring. Even Flowey asked questions without sounding wholly disingenuous or passive aggressive, and Chara emerged part way through to engage in the conversation as well, sounding a little more at ease with the idea than they had before. Even if they still approached it with their usual snark. But it was not the child with the scarlet eyes who was fronting when Toriel eventually felt a gentle tug on her sleeve.

She looked down into Frisk's soft brown eyes, which were peering back up at her with curiosity. They clearly had something to ask now, and in the spirit of how things had been going, she was happy and eager to answer.

"Yes, my child?" She asked, tilting her head a bit.

Frisk paused for a moment, lifting and then lowering their hands indecisively. But eventually they found the words to sign to communicate their question.

(How did… the baby get in there?) They asked, ending the question by pointing at her stomach.

Toriel's train of thought crashed in a most dramatic fashion. Needless to say, she hadn't been expecting _that_. It was something she'd previously recognized as a topic she'd have to teach her children someday, but Chara and Asriel had fallen victim to their plan long before she would have deemed them ready for "the talk." It was one aspect of parenting she'd never experienced before, and few would say that it was any sort of highlight.

She briefly found herself speechless as she scrambled to get her mind to string together an appropriate response. Unlike each question before it, she just couldn't drum up a decent answer. Beside her, Sans chuckled awkwardly and his skull quickly became noticeably sweaty.

"hoo boy, i was worried that was coming…" He said, sinking down into his hood slowly like a turtle retreating into its shell.

He looked over at her helplessly before his skull vanished completely, and Toriel knew it was up to her alone to formulate a reply. She swallowed hard, briefly picking over her relating knowledge of humans and monsters, but banished that train of thought before it be truly considered. She wasn't about to tell someone Frisk's age the answer to that. She cleared her throat and smiled down at her child weakly, trying to break down the awkwardness of the moment.

"I… I will tell you when you are a little older Frisk." She promised, though with her tone indicating they should leave it at that.

Frisk tilted their head a bit, looking confused. Sans reached over and laid a hand on their head, tousling their hair in a sympathetic manner.

"yah, that's probably for the best." He agreed with her, coming out from his hood a bit. "you're real bright kiddo, but you still have some growing up to do before learning about those kind of topics."

Flowey glowered up at Sans from his pot's place in Frisk's lap, but then he promptly straightened up on his stem in a somewhat cocky manner.

"Well I know how it works, for monsters anyway." He declared, presenting his claim with confidence before anyone could say anything to interrupt him. "They both make magical bullets and fire them at each other, then the bullets bounce off both monsters' head, fuse together, and then the monster who wants to have the baby eats the bullet. And then the bullet turns into a baby inside them."

All the adults in the room stared at Flowey with a deep confusion that began to drift into amusement. Toriel didn't like the implications of what she was hearing though. So while Sans started to snicker, she crossed her arms and addressed her son firmly.

"And just who told you that?" She asked, some of her teacher voice slipping into her tone.

Flowey didn't waver, still grinning widely.

"Jerry."

The name was exactly the one she didn't want to hear. Though not officially part of her class, Jerry had a habit of showing up randomly at the school, and everywhere throughout Newer Home now that she thought about it. She groaned and covered her face with a paw.

"Why am I not surprised?" She grumbled to herself, before taking a deep breath and facing Flowey again. "My child, you know you should not be discussing anything like that. Especially not with _Jerry_ of all monsters…"

Flowey rolled his eyes dismissively, but Frisk just looked up at her, clearly only having their curiosity further piqued by all this. That look made her realize something further. As much as she could tell Frisk how such things regarding monsters worked, she was woefully unfit to tell them how such things worked for humans when the time came for them to know. She wouldn't worry about it now, but it was a reminder that as a monster raising a human, she would need to work to grow her knowledge on matters unique to them.

Things were fine for now, and she knew enough from raising Chara early on to ensure them a healthy childhood. But deeper knowledge about humans would be necessary as Frisk grew. Though with the added element of Chara's spirit bound to Frisk, there was no telling how complicated their future would prove to be. For now though, there was no need to linger on the subject. She somewhat feared Chara would want to chime in next, only continuing things further, so she was quick to finish her response.

"I will tell you all what you need to know when I think you are ready." She said, tone earnest, if still tinged with awkwardness. "But for now, it is not something you need to worry about. Let us just say that for monsters, it is achieved by a special kind of magic, and leave it at that."

Flowey huffed, crossing his leaves as though they were a pair of arms. And with their recent slight transformation, they almost looked the part. Though they were still far too short to be convincing, leaving the gesture still rather humorous.

"Um, technically with the resets in mind, i'm old as hell." He pointed out, before wincing slightly as she gave him a look for his use of that last word. "Heck, so I should be able to know."

He didn't usually bother to correct himself, so she counted that as some progress. Though as for his response, it was a complicated and unusual matter for sure. But Flowey clearly still contained the mind of a young child on some level, likely never truly mentally aging past the age he had been when he'd perished that day. Perhaps he'd even regressed a little, with no adult figure in his life to guide him and no reason for maturing with all the power he'd possessed.

Whatever the case may be, she was not budging one inch for the excuse he'd given, and the look in her eyes clearly was enough for her son to understand that.

"Fiiine." Flowey grumbled, drawing out the word as he sank down into his pot.

Flowey may have been pacified, but Frisk was still clearly curious, and couldn't help but ask another question. This one they directed at Papyrus, possibly to avoid Toriel's further dismissal.

(Papyrus) They signed once they'd gained his attention. (Why did you ask Mom if she was having the baby?)

Papyrus blinked, looking a bit perplexed by the question before offering up a smile.

"I WAS JUST MAKING SURE!" He replied. "I AGREE SHE WAS THE OBVIOUS CHOICE, BUT IT DOESN'T HURT TO CLARIFY THINGS."

Frisk just stared at him blankly, confusion in their eyes. Toriel could practically see the gears turning in their head as they pondered the implications of Papyrus' answer. Then slowly, they turned to look at Sans, as though seeing him for the first time. Finally they lifted their hands to sign to him in particular.

(So... you _could_ have had the baby?) They asked, emphasizing their befuddlement.

Sans shifted a bit from where he'd sunk into the couch cushions to face Frisk more properly. Upon understanding all that Frisk had said, he quirked a brow ridge in mild confusion. More so for why Frisk was asking the way they were.

"uh yah? but that'd be a _terrible_ idea." Sans insisted, anxiously tugging on his shirt collar a bit. "i'm not exactly a picture of health here kiddo."

Oddly, Sans' reply only seemed to leave the child even more confused. Their brows wrinkled in thought and they tapped a finger against their chin. Eventually when it seemed Frisk could not sort out a suitable answer, they chose to sign again. This time it was more reluctant.

(But you're... a boy?) They finally continued, now looking embarrassed as well as confused.

Sans tilted his head a bit in response to their statement, mirroring their own confusion. Flowey poorly masked a burst of laughter behind his leaves, something that seemed to make Frisk even more unconfident about their question.

"well... yes. but what does have to do with-" Sans began to reply, but paused as something seemed to occur to him. "oh, oh right... its kinda different for you humans, huh..."

He sat up a bit and leaned forward with a heavy figurative exhale, attempting to decide the proper reply that the situation warranted. Toriel considered jumping in and taking over, but he seemed confident enough in tackling the subject. So she reluctantly allowed him to explain. It wasn't something discussed at all often, but they all knew that the topic of gender was one of importance to Frisk, in a way that they as monsters typically didn't even think about. The child looked at the skeleton with deeply inquisitive brown eyes. She could only imagine that made things more difficult for him.

"its... not the easiest thing to explain in a kid friendly way, heh." Sans eventually said, rubbing the back of his neck. "take it this way. for monsters, what you refer to yourself as in terms of pronoun or whatever has nothing to with if you can have kids or not. all grown up monsters can if they really want to. though typically if they are having it with another monster, its the monster with the highest stats who ends up carrying it. and there's lots more ways for that to come about then there is with humans."

He looked at them more directly then, taking note of something within their gaze before continuing.

"basically gender stuff for us isn't as big a deal. its traditionally not decided for you. its more just a personal choice if its something you want to label yourself with our not. or at least it uh... is for most monsters."

She noticed his eyelights waver on that last part and Papyrus grew a bit tenser as well. They didn't have to say why. The reaction was clear in its meaning. Sans and Papyrus had not had anywhere close to a normal upbringing. Most likely their identities were imposed by Gaster for whatever reason the royal scientist had, as Sans had clearly referred to Papyrus as his brother since an early age in his stories. Though with the knowledge that Sans had to discover their true skeleton names himself, perhaps there was more to it than that. Nevertheless, it seemed Sans and Papyrus both had chosen to retain their gender identity from back then, if nothing else. That aspect didn't seem to weigh on them too heavily in comparison to everything else they'd endured though, and Sans moved past the point without further reaction.

"anyway, plenty of monsters just stay neutral, or approach it in their own way." He explained, cracking his bony knuckles in an absent, noisy manner as he spoke. "from what i've heard since being up here, it sounds like similar concepts exist for humans too, they just aren't as established or accepted yet."

Toriel nodded her agreement, gaining Frisk's attention.

"That is right, my child." She said, settling a paw softly on their shoulder and briefly slipping into teaching mode. "In fact, the monsters of ancient times are said to have had no concept of gender. At least not the modern understanding of it. Some even think it may be something we picked up from friendly early human tribes. Though no one knows for certain. Today though, it is usually pretty easy to figure out by performing a CHECK on someone if you are not sure. It is not uncommon for monsters to change what and how they are called after all."

"yah, like ol glambot for example." Sans added, drawing a box shape in the air with a phalange.

Papyrus immediately recognized who was being discussed and lit up, eye sockets sparkling.

"OH YES! IT WAS SO BRAVE OF HIM TO PUBLISH HIS WONDERFUL PERSONAL JOURNALS AND ADMIT TO HIS STRUGGLES. HE'S SO INSPIRING!" He gushed, blushing a bit and placing his gloved hands on either side of his face. "I BOUGHT A DOZEN COPIES!"

While the skeleton was having his moment, Frisk had been thinking over what had been told to them. Toriel could see them slowly coming to the realization she'd hoped they would. Or at least some part of it. They looked up at her with a deep vulnerability in their eyes. Those eyes told a story of one of many old pains no child should ever have to endure. A pain that was at least part of what must have driven them to come to the mountain in the first place.

(Is... that how you knew that I like to be called "they"?) They signed up to her, hands trembling a bit.

Toriel smiled warmly at them, understanding in her eyes.

"Yes dear." She said, leaning over to wrap them up in a gentle hug. "And I know it is important to you."

They stiffened a bit, then hugged her back, holding on to her tightly. Toriel pulled them into her lap and stroked their hair in a comforting manner. They sniffled once and pressed close to her. Toriel was sure they wouldn't be letting go for a little while. The others all moved a little closer in an attempt to silently comfort the young human they all loved. Even Flowey moved to poke out the back of their shirt and settle on top of their head. Toriel gave him a thankful look for it, but he just grumbled and looked away. What had started with a rather awkward but expected question had led into a discussion that was understandably sensitive for Frisk. She hoped the answers she and the skeleton brothers had given them would offer her child some peace in that regard. Of all the things that could possibly burden their mind, fearing that their new family would not respect who they are should never be one of them.

She could have told them of her own experience, how the royal families were typically an exception among monsterkind with more strict gender roles and assignments based on centuries old traditions, but she'd leave it for now. The note they'd ended on was positive, and that was important. Maybe someday she would tell them more about it, more about much of her childhood, but not today. She wouldn't give them any reason to lose the sense of hope and relief she could feel from their powerful soul.

Once the moment had run its course, and Frisk sat back from her to wipe their eyes, Toriel wasted little time in moving on from the topic before any additional, less palatable questions were asked. Particularly any more brilliant "theories" regarding babies from her son.

"Anyway, now that that is settled… how would you all feel about going shopping for supplies for the baby after the school day tomorrow?" She asked, gaining back a joyful bubbliness. "It is rather early for it, yes… but I imagine it will be fun and help the idea better sink in for us all these next few months."

Papyrus immediately brightened up as well at the idea. He'd stayed mostly quiet during the earlier conversation, seemingly recognizing that he wasn't the best person to be chiming in on that sort of subject. At least for the parts regarding babies that is. But now he clearly had no problem joining the discussion.

"OH YES, WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA!" He exclaimed excitedly, before something seemed to occur to him and he looked at her with a touch of concern. "BUT WAIT, SHOULD YOU REALLY BE TEACHING IN YOUR CONDITION TORIEL?"

She smiled at him, grateful for his concern but waved it off reassuringly.

"Oh Papyrus, I am touched, but I assure you I am fine." She said. "It will be some time before the side effects are significant enough for me to take maternity leave. And I have medicine for what I am going through at the moment. Do not worry about me."

Papyrus looked skeptical, narrowing his sockets and rubbing his chin. But after a moment he let out a sigh and his expression returned to normal, if a bit strained.

"VERY WELL THEN, BUT STILL DON'T STRESS YOURSELF TOO MUCH!" He ordered sternly, before being pulled right back into giddiness. "OH BUT I AM SO EXCITED FOR OUR OUTING TOMORROW! I'M GOING TO BUY THE BABY THEIR FIRST BOOK OF PUZZLES!"

Another chuckle shook through Sans, and was paired with a smile that seemed to brighten by the moment.

"heh, just make sure to check the age range for it paps." He said before looking over at Toriel with more of a notable brightness to his eyelights. "and yah, the plan sounds great tori."

With that, it seems things were settled in that regard for now. It was going to be a good day tomorrow, she was sure of it. But there was still an element to all this that remained to be addressed.

"Would you like to go with us, my son?" Toriel said, moving to gently lift Flowey's pot and meet the flower monster's eyes. "I understand if you would rather go stay with your father while we are out…"

He blinked at the suggestion, looking rather surprised by it. She could understand why. Even now, it must feel strange for her to suggest such an option. Her children were bright, and clearly perceived how it affected her when they went to stay with Asgore. She hoped Flowey could see the offer for what it was, what she wanted it to mean.

He didn't respond right away, eyes narrowing somewhat in thought as he looked down at the dirt in his pot. He picked at it idly with his newly formed pseudo fingers before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I'll go with you." He relented, and she caught the gleam of curiosity and interest in his eyes. "Just don't expect me to chime in much."

His words summoned a smile to her face, and she felt a warmth in her soul as she considered the meaningfulness of what he'd agreed to. It was a small thing perhaps, but a notable one.

"Very well." She all but purred, so happy she was, and gently nuzzled him. "I appreciate you coming along sweetheart."

Though she couldn't see it, she could all but feel him roll his eyes. Still, he remained in decent spirits all the same, not flinching away from her touch or shooting any nasty comments her way.

"Yeah yeah…" He relented, though the smallest touch of genuine amusement in his tone then kept the happiness in her soul alight.

Frisk was quick to further those feelings, and as she caught the brief flash of crimson in their eyes, she could tell Chara was on board as well. Though she had a feeling they were still reluctant to come out and speak about it.

She would give them space and time for that, but she vowed again then to keep an eye on them as well as her other children. Hopefully though, they could all have a wonderful day tomorrow, and start adjusting the children to the realities of their future sibling's future arrival. Both the joyful things along with the stressful. But judging from the way Frisk's and Papyrus' eyes still sparkled, she had a feeling that it wouldn't be too hard to show how much the positives far outweighed any of the stresses inherit to raising a little monster.

She and her family remained on the couch discussing plans and ideas further into the night after that. Until she noticed the clock chime for a time beyond her children's bedtimes at least. Once Frisk and Flowey had been tucked in and settled for the night, Papyrus made it clear he was far too excited by the news to sleep. He declared he would go on a "celebratory jog" through the snow instead. Toriel tried to talk him out of it, but he'd rushed out in a flurry of joyful cackling before she could get the words out. She'd starting fretting over him the moment he was gone, mind coming up with a million reasons that it was a bad idea. But Sans had assured her that he'd be fine, and eventually convinced her to stop lingering at the window and come to bed.

She followed him then with a smile, allowing him to guide her along by the paw. He would surely have to do these sort of things more and more often in the future as her pregnancy continued, and her usual tendency to worry only grew more erratic and intense. He was already handling it well, even if he didn't realize it, and she gave his small hand a thankful squeeze, appreciating the peace of mind he continued to offer her. It settled both her and the little soul, whose magic continued to stir faintly within her.

After all the stress of ensuring all who needed to know the news had received it, she felt like she could finally relax, and give her full focus to the joy of that precious little soul, and the monster who'd helped bring them into the world.

"You did well with that, my dear." She murmured to her dear skeleton, now nestled in bed beside him with the whole of the house enveloped in the quiet of the winter's night.

He chuckled from where he had his face nuzzled up against her neck, a wonderful sound that sent a wave of joy through her.

"so did you, i had it easy in comparison." He replied, absently running his phalanges through the fur on her ears.

The action and general contentment she felt was almost enough to draw up that damned purring sound from her again, and she was sure that was what he was hoping for. But she held out against it, if only to ensure she could still speak properly. He wanted her to accept the compliments and let that be that, but she wasn't about to let him downplay his own personal achievements.

"Perhaps, but I am still proud of you regardless." She reiterated, sweeping a paw slowly up his back. "In all, you are handling all of this quite admirably so far."

He shivered slightly at the magic in her touch, as her heightened emotions met his own. He moved back just a bit and cracked open one socket to peer up at her, exposing the soft glow of his eyelight. She could also just make out his smile, soft and genuine in the faint light.

"heh, thanks tori, glad you think so." He said, though his tone betrayed he still didn't quite believe her.

He reached out a hand then and lightly tapped the end of her muzzle with a phalange, making her scrunch up her nose a bit by instinct.

"give yourself some credit too though, you're the one actually carrying the kid, and you had to break the news to someone you have some real messy history with. to put it lightly. i'd call that pretty darn impressive."

She giggled softly then in a mix of exasperation and gratitude for his words. She hugged him close again, nuzzling him across the cheekbone before slipping her arms fully around his smaller form.

"I do believe we are going in circles here, dear." She pointed out, a lilt of warm amusement to her voice.

He shrugged his shoulders, and though she couldn't directly see it she know he was grinning widely.

"maybe, but it's the good kind of circle, maybe second only to pizza… or a burg bun."

Toriel snorted with barely suppressed giggles and rolled over on her back, bringing him with her and settling him on her stomach.

"Oh you silly thing." She crooned, trying to keep from laughing aloud, and not helped at all by him failing to do the same.

When she'd regained her composure, she hummed to herself in thought and shifted to press the tip of her muzzle between his eye sockets in a little kiss.

"My favorite circles happen to be right here." She declared, and felt the blush and subsequent chuckle that shook through him in response.

"ah geez…" He mumbled, hiding his face a bit against her as more color flooded his skull. "c'mon, flirting is unfair."

She couldn't help but take a moment to take in his appearance then, how the magic that colored his cheekbones glowed faintly in the darkness of their room. It was marvel to her how easy it still was to elicit such a reaction from him. Even as his confidence in many aspects of his life had steadily grown, that aspect had not seen much change in response.

"Even now you still get so flustered." She mused, rubbing his back in a bit of playful sympathy. "Alright then, I would not want to make you feel so _blue_ after all."

After she'd said all that, she expected to hear another of his usual chuckles and maybe even some embarrassed grumbling. But instead there was a long pause of silence, and then he started pushing himself up a bit. The act was done with confidence, and Toriel loosened her grip on him, intrigued as to what he was doing. She watched as his face rose up in her vision, still lightly tinged with cyan along his cheekbones, and then blinked in surprise as he pressed a kiss of his own to her lips.

The magical component behind it sent an almost electric feeling through her, stirring her soul and subsequently that of their child within her. The response from them likely would result in some queasiness on her part once morning came, but for witnessing Sans display such a rare level of boldness, it was worth it. She blinked at him when he pulled back, slightly wide eyed, then devolved into a few exuberant, and admittedly flustered giggles of her own.

"heh, gotcha." Sans teased with a wink. "consider it payback for that first time we kissed. i never got to steal a surprise one in return."

Toriel smiled brightly, all too happy to let him win this round.

"Fair enough." She conceded cheerfully, before tilting her head a bit when he remained lying on her stomach. "Do you plan to sleep like that, my dear?"

He'd allowed his sockets to slide almost shut after his little stunt, but one cracked open more in response to her question. The edges of his smile tugged upwards a little more.

"if you'll let me." He replied, simply.

She had no qualms with it, and it had been a popular spot for him on occasion before she had become pregnant. And eventually he wouldn't be able to lie there for some time, once she really started showing. He might as well enjoy it while he could.

"Very well, just be careful of course." She said, settling back against the pillows in a more comfortable position. "Can you feel them?"

Sans paused a moment, slipping an arm down to lay against her side. She could feel him seeking out their child's magic, and how the sensation prompted that precious faint response from them.

"yup, just barely like before, but definitely there." He replied, eyelights brightening and gaining a shimmer in the darkness. "sheesh, after seeing them on the screen yesterday, so tiny... it's getting me all emotional to think of them working so hard to be given attention."

He laid his cheekbone against her, running a hand purposefully along her side. All three souls in the room had their magic stirred again as Sans sought out their child once more. And for a few moments, it felt as though they were all part of the same being, pieces of a greater whole.

"we hear ya, little guy." Sans said softly, closing his sockets again.

Toriel smiled fondly, following suit in letting her own eyes fall shut and just focusing on the familiar yet still somehow new sensations gripping her. The little soul clearly liked being acknowledged, all but doubling their output of magic, and subsequently the drain on her own. She had a feeling she'd be feeling quite ill indeed by the time morning came, but she'd readily endure that for moments like this.

"Yes we do." She replied after a few moments, keeping her eyes shut. "And we will only continue to feel their presence more and more as they grow."

They both slipped into a blissful silence then, enough so and for long enough that Toriel began to wonder if Sans had fallen asleep. But when she didn't hear his usual soft snoring she cracked open an eye to peer at him. She was surprised when she found him looking back at her, sockets mostly open once more. She could tell from his expression he'd been looking her over more critically. As much as he could in the low light of course.

When he'd noticed she too was awake, he blinked then quickly regained his usual tone with the clearing of his metaphorical throat.

"you sure you're okay to teach tomorrow?" He asked, softly.

His tone and posture suddenly seemed tense again, clearly falling victim to all manner of worries. She couldn't help but wonder then if he better understood now what she felt every day that her children and loved ones, including him, put themselves in potentially dangerous situations. But Toriel had been expecting the question, and was all too happy to answer.

"Yes dear, I will be fine. I will take my medicine and be more mindful of what I have for breakfast." She assured him, moving a paw to cradle the side of his skull and sweep her thumb across his cheekbone "If I end up feeling too badly, I will take a break and ask someone to take over for a while. I'm sure once the other staff at the school, especially Bonnie, find out about all this, they'd be just as eager to make sure I do not push myself too hard."

She let out a soft sigh tinged with exasperation but without losing her smile.

"And that is not even mentioning how the children will take it." She said, picturing the wide eyes and uncomfortable questions she'd see from them in such a scenario.

Sans hummed thoughtfully in acknowledgement, still with his cheekbone rest contentedly against her stomach. After a moment though, his eyelights focused on her again.

"are you uh… gonna tell em?" He asked, hesitantly.

Toriel shook her head, but there was a sense of defeat to it already. But one of a lighthearted nature, even if she still dreaded it all the same.

"No, not until it becomes obvious at least. But with how children chatter and gossip I am sure it will reach their ears before long." She admitted. "Or Frisk or Flowey will let it slip. I have not told them they have to hide it now that Asgore knows after all."

The mention of her ex-husband brought thoughts of the children's upcoming stay with him. No matter how hard she tried reassuring herself, the idea always picked at old wounds and caused long standing, irrational worries to flare up once again. Chances are, she'd likely always have some part of her that never stops worrying in regards to such things. But as long as she could keep it from overwhelming her, everything would be fine. She knew logically she could trust Asgore, it was just a matter of getting her damaged emotional side to understand that. And for the next six months at least, that was going to be more difficult task than usual.

For the moment, she made the effort to stay focused on the topic at hand, not wanting to give her erratic emotions any excuse to get worked up.

"I imagine there will be many jokes and misconceptions flying around." She said, continuing off her last statement. "They are bright children, so I am sure it will not take them long to catch on."

Sans chuckled heartily and gave her another wink.

"heh, joking sounds fine to me, so long as they haven't all been told the same lies from jerry." He paused, and upon taking note of her expression, added on. "and aren't uh… being distracted from their lessons of course."

Toriel sighed once more, but still managed to keep her smile in place.

"I am afraid _I_ will be the distraction near the end of all this." She pointed out, picturing how her appearance would certainly start changing within the coming months. "I will have to buy some bigger dresses..."

Sans perked up a little at that, eyelights brightening in tandem with an idea it seemed.

"heh, gonna have to wear something closer to my wardrobe huh?" He asked, fluffing the hood around his neck a bit. "wanna get matching hoodies?"

She considered that, tapping a clawed finger against her cheek. It was hard to imagine herself in such a thing, or even imagining one made in her size… but the thought had some appeal. And the idea of matching with Sans in terms of their outfits was both amusing and endearing. It would certainly turn a few heads.

"That is not a terrible idea." She admitted with a giggle. "It would be quite a change for me, but I think i'd be willing to try it. Though finding one in my size would likely be difficult."

His response to her words surprised her, as he gently laid his hand against her cheek and swept it through the fur there. She blinked at him, confused, but leaned into his touch a little all the same.

"you'll look great." He assured her with a wink. "you always do, whatever you wear. really the clothes can't help but get outshined every time. even if you dress like me, you'll still be totally _hood_ looking."

Feelings of both being flustered and amused by his words washed over her, and she giggled again, even more so than before. Such a method of flattery suited him perfectly, and it was wonderful to see he was becoming more comfortable with voicing his affections. Especially in his own, delightfully silly way.

"Well now, when did you suddenly become so good at compliments?" She asked, playfully squishing his cheekbones with her paws. "Usually I am the one flustering you, am I not?"

He grinned wider, made all the more humorous by his smooshed face.

"eh... i may have kind of stole that one off the tv." He admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "but the point stands."

The two shared another soft laugh, and all souls in the room reacted in turn. In the wake of it, a silent agreement passed between the two, that is was time to get some sleep. Getting proper rest was all the more important for Toriel right now, seeing as she was sleeping for two. That idea only made her soul grow warmer within her, and that was furthered even more by Sans pressing another small electric kiss right on her nose.

"night tori' He said, in that rare, fully earnest tone that sent a small shiver up her spine. "love you."

She pulled him closer and nuzzled him fondly before settling in a way they could both sleep more comfortably.

"I love you too." She returned his words in a gentle, deeply joyful tone. "Goodnight, my dear. Sleep well."

With that, both fell silent, and Toriel closed her eyes with the intention of allowing herself to drift off. But the soft rumble of Sans' voice drew her to crack open one scarlet eye again.

"and good night to you too, little guy." He said, and she once again felt his hand sweep over her side.

As before when it had been acknowledged so directly, Toriel could feel the faint response from the little soul. Already it felt stronger to her, as though it had grown in strength and size in just one day. She knew that was only her romantic perception, but it still further warmed her heart. She offered her own, silent goodnight to her unborn child before slipping off to sleep. Things felt truly at peace for her in the moment, as joy and hope for the future seemed to envelop her. And unlike during that terrible time the previous spring, she embraced slumber without any fear of what her dreams would contain.

...

But rather than the pleasant dreamlessness she'd grown used to since leaving the hospital, or flighty dreams that were forgotten moments after she woke, something new greeted her as she slipped into sleep.

It was brief, so much so that even in the realm of her dreams, it was almost forgotten shortly after it had passed. But its stark contrast to the rest of her dream along with the echos it carried of her ordeal from the previous spring kept it in her mind. Shortly after falling asleep, Toriel had found herself in what seemed to be utter darkness, with no light visible in any direction. No, not darkness... nothingness. It was a world totally void of anything. No sights, no sounds, no sensations. It felt unnatural in just about every way, and worst of all, it somehow seemed familiar to her as well. She started to panic, when she noticed something, no, some _one_ , that was suddenly there in front of her, appearing in the span of a blink.

All she could make out of them was a white skull, so stark against the sea of black that it felt hard to look away from. Its visage was malformed, twisted, and truly ghoulish to behold. Cracks ran from the sockets to the mouth and over the top of it. Both the mouth and sockets also leaked black fluid that appeared to melt back into the endless darkness around them as it spilled off the bottom of its skull. It wore the most crooked of smiles, but there was true joy in its eyelights as it looked upon her. Though that joy seemed manic, desperate.

After a few moments, a gnarled hand emerged from what could possibly be surmised as the being's insubstantial, undulating body. One that had an hole straight through the palm area. It burst out from the blackness, dripping with the same dark fluid leaking from its face. The sight sent an icy cold shiver down Toriel's spine. And though in her dream she couldn't move, in the waking world, she curled an arm protectively around her middle by instinct. The figure reached out towards her, making strained, distorted, guttural sounds. The process of making the sounds seemed to cause the figure pain, and it paused once to cough out more black fluid. But it didn't seem to care. It was fully fixated on her, looking at her as though she were the angel of the ancient prophecy itself.

In that moment there was almost enough time for her mind to process the realization of what, or rather... _who_ , she was seeing. This wasn't the first time she'd encountered them in this place after all. But without the endless stream of memories screaming by as had been there the first time she'd been here, her mind didn't make the connection.

Before the twisted, malformed bones of its hand could touch her, whatever fragile connection that had brought about the meeting snapped. It all melted away in moments, so quickly that she hardly even had time to process the changing of the figure's expression from elation to despair before it was gone. The emotions only existed in the eyelights though, as its ghoulish smile remained firmly in place.

It vanished along with the dark place of nothingness it had brought with it. Her dreams from then on were the usual fare of peaceable, forgettable nonsense. Only a vague sense of unease and foreboding would follow her into the waking world when she awoke in the morning.


	10. Lingering shadows

Toriel awoke early the next morning, before the sun had fully risen. Not because of the usual rude awakening via her alarm, but because of all the magical activity stirred up by the child inside her. As she had feared, giving them all that attention and encouraging them to respond so much had resulted in quite a drain on Toriel's magic. A drain that manifested in her feeling quite ill, in a way that was quickly becoming a rather miserable routine.

So it was that she started yet another early morning in the bathroom slouched over the toilet bowl. Thankfully, it never lasted too long, but she felt so drained by the end of it that it always took her a bit to force herself to get up from the floor and start her day.

As he had before, Sans had appeared at her side shortly after she'd left him alone in bed. Despite the fact he could practically sleep through anything when he wanted to, and the fact she'd made efforts to leave quietly, he always seemed to take notice. Especially now that they knew the cause of it.

He stood beside her and gently stroked the fur on the back of her neck as she flushed and shut the lid of the toilet. There was an odd stiffness to his movements today, but she didn't yet have the focus to pay it much notice. Her mind was still trying to wake up along with the rest of her, and this certainly hadn't been a proper way to rouse it.

"you alright tori?" Sans asked after a moment, and she felt something be pushed into one of her paws. "here, drink some water. i'll go get your medicine."

Toriel blinked and took the cup, finding her paw was a little shaky, but not too bad. She took a small sip, and even the small amount of magic it offered made her feel a little better. Sans kept his hand on her a moment, clearly trying to make sure she'd stay upright, before he walked to the medicine cabinet above the sink. Toriel watched him, feeling a touch of fond amusement as he pulled over the stepstool in order to reach the cabinet properly. That along with the water seemed to do the trick in clearing some of the fog from her mind.

"Thank you dear." She responded at last, a little late but better than never. "Yes… I am alright. Just the… morning sickness, I am afraid. I suppose it is hitting me earlier today. I will be fine."

Sans made a soft sound of acknowledgement, having located her medicine and hopped down from the stool to walk back to her. He was clearly still worried, but knowing the cause of her sudden sickness at least kept either of them from fearing anything serious. As much as their child's growth meant Toriel would have to endure terrible mornings like this, among other things that she was sure would come in the future, it was more than worth it to know that her child was developing well. Even Asriel hadn't pulled this much magic from her at this stage. She figured it was the shorter timeframe of the pregnancy that was blame.

"guess we oughta have you take that before bed going forward, huh?" Sans said, gently taking her free paw and shaking a pill from the bottle into it.

Toriel closed her fingers around it and popped it into her mouth before she could get hung up on the less than pleasant taste. She downed it with a gulp of water and then relaxed with a heavy sigh.

"That may be a good idea." She conceded, turning to face him better. "I will have to ask the doctor about that when I see them."

Perhaps it was merely a placebo effect or just her wits returning to her, but she already began to feel a little better as she finished off the rest of the water. She stretched a bit and then looked over at Sans, who she only just now noticed looked a bit of sorts. His eyelights were hazy, staring blankly over at the wall. And she could just make out the soft sound of his bones rattling ever so slightly. She sat up fully then, leaning over to rest a paw on his back. He startled a bit at her touch and looked over at her with an unsteady grin, one that showed he knew she had noticed his behavior.

"Are... _you_ okay, my dear?" She asked, concern pricking at her soul. "You are trembling a little."

There was a beat where even now, she could see his old instincts to try and laugh off such situations or avoid them entirely grip him. But unlike the previous year, he caught himself and hesitantly allowed let his true emotions be shown on his face as he let out a shaky sigh. She could see then that he was unsettled… and maybe even a little frightened.

"h-heh… i uh… i had a weird dream about… gaster." He admitted, shifting uneasily and looking down towards the floor. "but not like the usual ones. it... wasn't even really a nightmare. it was over so quick… and it felt… i dunno, it felt different. it's got me a little _rattled_ , not gonna lie."

He smiled weakly at that, clearly trying to maintain some levity. But Toriel was too wrapped up in what he had said to acknowledge that or his pun. She blinked at him, eyes wide. She'd been so caught up in her bout of nausea upon waking that she'd forgotten that odd fragment the dream she'd had the previous night. It was… hazy, but now that he put it into words it was starting to become clear to her again. The image of Gaster… or some horrid thing that vaguely resemble him, looming over her in a terrible darkness.

A deep sense of unease flooded through her, and she could more clearly understand what had Sans so shaken up. Whatever that dream was… it wasn't like any she ever had… nor was it like when she had her lost memories returned. It was something else. Something that felt deeply wrong in a way she wasn't sure she could fully grasp.

"I… I think I may have actually had a similar dream." She breathed, looking at him with wide eyes. "In just the same way… it was so short that it didn't really even register until you mentioned it just now."

Sans blinked at her, clearly not comforted at all to know that their experience had been shared. His tiny eyelights darted back and forth as he tried to make sense of their situation. Sweat began to dot his skull as a growing foreboding began to weigh down on them both.

"did he look… real messed up in your dream?" He asked hesitantly after a moment.

All Toriel had to do was nod, and Sans' worsening anxiety was plain to see. She silently reached out to take his hand, hoping to steady him. But she couldn't pretend this wasn't potentially worth worrying about. Not after what had happened to her before…

"What do you think it could mean?" She asked softly.

He didn't answer her for a few moments, looking blankly off in the direction of the door again. He wrapped his free arm around himself a bit, digging his phalanges into the sleeves of his hoodie.

"i don't know…" He admitted, shakily. "but probably nothing good..."

A heavy silence hung between them as both considered the potential weight of what they'd just discovered. Was this all a bizarre, unsettling coincidence? Or was it a sign of something much darker… something neither of them wanted to even consider?

Before they could really give full focus to either of those options, a musical tone suddenly rang out from the bedroom, startling them both a bit. It took Toriel a moment to recognize that it was her morning alarm, signaling it was time to wake up and get ready for the day ahead.

Sans' expression softened in a sort of guilty relief, and he sighed softly as he took her paw.

"well, unless you wanna take the day off again, i guess wondering over old g will have to wait." He said, tone indicating that despite his nerves, he was leaving the choice up to her.

She hummed thoughtfully in her throat, an edge of stress to her tone. The alarm continued to sound again and again, and the annoyance of that finally made the decision for her. As much as she was concerned about this… she didn't want to miss another school day, nor let this be a reason to cancel their planned outing. She wouldn't let it go ignored… not like last time... but she wouldn't let it disrupt her day either if she could help it.

"I suppose so." She agreed softly. "We can discuss it when we get home tonight from the store."

He seemed to relax a little more as he nodded his acknowledgment of her answer, but she could still see the unease and fear lingering in the hazy lights of his eyes. This had really frightened him, more so than it had for her, and the reason why couldn't be more clear. They both had their histories with Gaster, but Sans' was beyond compare in the cruelty he'd suffered. Seeing as he was still holding on to her paw, she gently led him into the room with her as she went to shut off the awful din of the alarm.

Once silence had been restored, she knelt back down closer to Sans' level and gained his attention with a light touch against his cheekbone. He blinked as he was pulled out of his inner thoughts, but something in her gaze seemed to communicate what she was thinking. He deflated a little as he leaned into her touch, allowing her to run her thumb tenderly along the side of his skull. She kept it up for a few moments before pressing a little kiss between his eye sockets.

"Try not to fear, my love." She said, moving to take both of his small hands in her paws. "Whatever those dreams meant… Even in... the worst case... you have family here who will protect you."

Feeling a surge of protectiveness along with renewed vitriol towards the brothers' so called father, she quickly added on to her statement.

" _I_ shall protect you." She vowed, narrowing her scarlet eyes somewhat.

There was a beat, then Toriel could feel a mixture of amusement and genuine gratitude emanating from his soul. He chuckled, regaining a true smile and squeezing her paws back.

"heh, those protective instincts really are kicking in huh?" He asked with a wink, before his expression softened again. "but… thanks tori. i appreciate it. i'll be okay."

With that said, he did step over to give her a hug, which she readily returned. She squeezed him tight for a few moments, worry washing over her soul. There was no way he wouldn't be stressing over this all day. And with the pressure of his upcoming fatherhood weighing on him as well, she was sure he wouldn't be what she'd consider "okay." Nonetheless, Sans was clearly handling this far better then the first time.

When they'd separated, he even had it in him to offer a rather genuine looking smile. It was no doubt in part fueled by the reminder of the little soul she was carrying, and he reached out and gave her stomach area a light pat.

"don't give your mom any more trouble today kiddo." He said, with another wink. "or else you're grounded."

She couldn't help but giggle at that, and playfully batted at him with a paw. The lighthearted quip was just what she needed to relax enough to fully focus on the present again. Leave it to him to make it so that they could leave such a rough start to the morning in a good mood.

They both directed their attention then on getting ready for the day, leaving the shared unsettling image of Sans' ghoulish, phantom father to be pushed to the back of their minds for the time being. It's effect on them lingered though, very much like a shadow, and she knew deep down that they likely hadn't experienced the last of it.

...

Despite how the day had started, the school day went just about as normally as it could have. Toriel saw no reason to tell her students of her pregnancy, and to her surprise, her children managed to keep it themselves as well. At least as far as she could tell. She didn't notice any increase in staring and whispering from the young humans and monsters. As for her staff however, that was a different story.

Alphys and Undyne had indeed managed to keep her secret, but both of them hadn't been as effective in hiding the fact they were keeping a secret. She'd been asked in passing by Torch and Benji as well as Bonnie if something was up with the two. By the time her group lunch break had rolled around, Toriel could practically feel the unasked question hanging over the room. To spare her friends from any further stressing, she decided to break the news herself then and there. After what she'd been through with telling Asgore, the prospect of the reveal no longer worried her too much.

There was the expected shock at first, a stunned silence as the majority of the group, understandably, assumed she must be telling a joke of some sort. But as that possibility fell away, Toriel was deeply grateful that the reactions rapidly become those of a congratulatory and even celebratory nature. She even had to remind them to keep their voices down, to avoid letting the children eating in the cafeteria down the hallway from hearing them. She was the recipient of many wonderful hugs, and Bonnie just about begged her to let her donate some hand me downs that she and her sister had from raising their own children. Other such kind offers were quick to follow, with just about everyone clearly eager to do something to help.

She was struck by the kindness of her friends, willing to do so much for her on such short notice. There was a silent, but notable feeling that they understood part of what drove her to do this, the nature of her immortality. She was even more grateful for their support in that regard, for she knew that privately it must be difficult for them to understand.

As touching as their generosity was, she let them know that she was planning to buy her child new things that day with her family, and there was a certain excitement over being able to do that again after so long. This time as a ordinary citizen, rather than royalty. Things would be so different, and she wanted to experience and understand that.

But she assured them that once it was closer to the child's arrival, she would be happy have what apparently was now called a "baby shower." Toriel was sure it would be a far more casual, familial affair then the comparable event she'd had when she was pregnant with Asriel, when the whole kingdom was indeed eager to "shower" her with gifts.

By the end of the day, she was feeling far better about everything then she expected to be. Things had gone well everywhere they needed to, both with sharing the big news and with the school's everyday activities. By the time she was waving her the last of her students goodbye for the day, her soul felt like it was floating on air. She'd even had to find explanations to explain to curious students why she was abruptly becoming joyfully misty eyed over what must have seemed to them as nothing at all.

Thankfully, she'd managed to regain her composure by the time she'd locked up the building and gathered up her family in preparation of their outing. Everyone seemed to share her cheery demeanor, no doubt having received their own congratulations from the staff. There was a weariness to Sans' eyelights to show that was even more true for him, but it was matched with a genuine smile that far overpowered that. She was able to consider that perhaps her earlier worries about him being stressed all day over their bizarre dreams were unfounded.

They all piled into the van after that and headed out to the store Toriel had been told would be best for shopping for the baby. Usually she made a point to shop at the local monster-run businesses that were still trying to fully establish themselves in Newer Home, but not many had much in the way of baby supplies. She was sure that would soon change with the predicted boom in monster children being born, but for now they'd have to head into one of the large stores in Ebott City. It mostly catered to humans, understandably, but many things it supplied could still be used by both species.

One thing she hadn't taken into account was just _how_ large the store was. Something she was reminded of as they pulled up to it's parking lot. She had never seen anything like it before coming to the surface again. Newer Home had only small shops in comparison. This was larger than her family's castle! And understandably so, as it seemed to carry just about anything one could ever want. From food to clothing to rideable lawn mowers.

She and the rest of her family all spent a little time staring up at the great looming structure upon exiting the van, admittedly a touch overwhelmed by the sight. They'd all ventured into the city before, but never entered a store like this. Humans funneled in and out of the entrance without so much as looking up, showing just how normal it was to them in comparison. Only a few monsters were among them, standing out like sore thumbs.

The usual touch of anxiety set in over the fact they were the among only monsters around, but Toriel did her best to ignore it, not wanting to let something like that deter her from enjoying this. They were drawing a few eyes, but none of the humans around looked bothered. Surely by now, seeing a group of monsters wasn't anything that should turn heads.

She locked the van up and refocused, gaining everyone's attention by clearing her throat.

"Well everyone, here we are." She said, bringing her paws together. "This is a rather large store, it could be easy to get lost, so everyone please stick together."

There were resounding nods from the others, and Frisk was quick to take her paw. Papyrus followed their cue and took his brother's hand, who accepted it with a shrug as he slipped his free hand into his hoodie pocket. Flowey just hummed halfheartedly in acknowledgement from his place sticking out of Frisk's backpack.

She noticed then that he was chewing on his leafy appendages, grumbling in annoyance. When he realized she was watching him, he stopped and put his leaves behind him, avoiding her gaze.

"Are you alright, my child?" She asked, tilting her head a bit.

He let out another low sound of irritation, especially as everyone turned to look at him.

"M' _fine_." He hissed, before sighing and scratching at one leaf with the recently formed tiny digits of the other. "My leaves are just kinda itchy. It's probably this stupid gross city air."

He let out a few dramatic coughs as to demonstrate his point, and Toriel felt the usual rush of concern grip her. She never remembered Flowey complaining about his leaves being itchy before. She had no idea what something like that could mean, or if it could possibly be linked to his subtle change in appearance. She was going to say something, but Papyrus chimed in first, having been overwhelmed with excitement since the moment they'd arrived.

"OH, I'M JUST SO EXCITED!" He exclaimed, eye sockets sparkling. "WHAT IS FIRST ON OUR LIST OF THINGS TO GET TORIEL?"

Toriel blinked and briefly looked between her son and Papyrus, but found she couldn't ignore the skeleton's genuine excitement. She'd let the issue of Flowey's leaves go for now, but she'd be keeping an eye on him whenever she could.

"Oh, I actually did not think of making an actual list…" She admitted to Papyrus as they started walking towards the building, a little sheepishly. "Now that I think about it… I hardly ever had to shop for supplies myself when I had Asriel. The whole kingdom gifted us more supplies than we ever knew what to do with."

Papyrus didn't seem phased by her apparent lack of foresight. He even seemed to grin a little more as he straightened up proudly and pulled a piece of paper out from his battle body.

"NO PROBLEM AT ALL! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAME PREPARED!" He assured her, giving the paper a flick to straighten it out in front of him. "I MADE ONE OF MY OWN JUST IN CASE! MY FIRST STEP IN BEING THE GREATEST OF UNCLES!"

"and the coolest." Sans added from his place beside him. "that's real awesome of you bro."

"Incredibly thoughtful." Toriel agreed with a nod. "Well in that case, where does your list indicate we should go first then?"

Papyrus looked all the more exuberant to be asked to lead the way. He looked over his list with narrowed sockets and then tapped the top of it.

"HMM… WELL WE COULD START AT THE SECTION FOR BABY CLOTHES. AND THEN LOOP AROUND TO GO LOOK AT POTENTIAL CRIBS AND SUCH. OH! AND THE TOYS AND CUTE LITTLE BLANKETS!" He suggested excitedly as they arrived at the front entrance of the place.

"Sounds like a good plan to start with." Toriel was quick to affirm him, but lost her voice to the sight before her.

The store building loomed tall in front of them, even bigger now that they were up close. With bright neon signs and a name that stretched across the whole of it. It was quite a new sight to all of them. But even that could only briefly halt Papyrus' excitement. He rushed up to the automatic doors, trailing his brother behind him who struggled to keep up.

Toriel followed after them, giving Sans a sympathetic look when he looked back in her direction. By the time Toriel had also stepped into the store's entrance area, Papyrus was already rushing back to her with a cart.

"I GOT THE LARGEST ONE, JUST IN CASE!" He declared, displaying it proudly before turning to look out at the store's interior before them. "AND WOWIE, THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! WHAT A TREMENDOUS VARIETY OF THINGS I NEVER KNEW I WANTED!"

Toriel turned to look as well, along with Frisk and Flowey. The impressive size of the place certainly did not stop at the outside. The main shopping floor was sprawling and filled with humans along with a few monsters here and there perusing the vast array of items for sale. Toriel wasn't sure where to look first, with flashy signs and advertisements everywhere vying for their attention. All of them were briefly left motionless again, a touch overwhelmed by the sight.

"never seen any shop this big." Sans said, though it was low enough that she felt it may have been just a statement to himself.

Frisk seemed equally caught up in being intimidated and amazed all at once. They tightened their grip on her paw, but they remained determined all the same. Flowey said nothing, but showed the same interest if a bit more reserved. Once more, it was Papyrus who pulled them all out of it, too caught up in their reason for being here to think about the impressiveness of the place.

"AH, I SEE THE SIGN FOR BABY ITEMS!" He exclaimed, pointing at a hanging sign depicting a human baby bottle. "FOLLOW ME, FAMILY! NYEH HEH HEH!"

With that, he was hurrying the cart and his brother towards the section in question, zipping by some bewildered humans in the process. Toriel gave them a apologetic smile as she followed after the skeleton brothers at a much more reasonable pace. Some of their looks lingered on her, but she kept her back turned, not wanting to see their potentially negative reactions.

Her surroundings also did a good job at keeping her attention. There was so much to see, so many options of products, food, and clothing that she'd never seen before. Part of her wanted to stop here and there just to take in all in better, a sentiment shared by her children who seemed equally intrigued. Had Frisk never been to a place like this before their fall? She briefly considered asking them, but any mention of the time before meeting her tended to cause them stress, so she decided against it.

Once they had arrived at the collections of aisles beneath the sign, they all had a chance to better pause and marvel at the sheer number of baby related items displayed on the shelves. Everything from strollers to cribs to bassinets to human specific things such as diapers. And it all had a lovely rainbow of pastel colors and endearing cute designs. It brought back a rush of memories for her that stirred a great warmth in her soul, and her eyes sparkled a bit as she took it all in.

Still, exciting as it was. It was a bit overwhelming as well. They were spoiled for choice here, choices she didn't really have to make with Asriel. How could she be sure she was choosing wisely? There was a certain level of guaranteed quality when it came to the baby supplies handmade for the royal family. The same may not be true of the mass produced products around her. But if it was what every average citizen used for their children, she would just have to be willing to give it a shot. Mindfully of course.

"Goodness… I never expected there would be so many options…" She said, sweeping her gaze across everything again. "Humans certainly have a more varied market for such things, do they not?"

She looked down at Sans as she asked that question, who had come to join her in assessing their sea of choices. He too looked more than a little intimidated by the sight before them, but he chimed in with a suggestion before she could even get herself focused again.

"why don't we do a quick flyby where all the clothes are to start, you point out the ones that catch your eye, and we'll take a better look at those in particular once we get to the end." He suggested, before slipping his hands into his pockets. "we still have a lot of time before the kiddo gets here after all, no need to get everything today."

His answer helped her relax a bit, as they so often did. He was right after all. Though the choices were aplenty here, and the store clearly desired its customers to load their carts with as much as possible, there was no need to purchase everything they'd need today. On top of that, some things she did feel the need to create herself, especially clothing wise. With that in mind, tackling the task ahead suddenly seemed a lot less daunting.

"GOOD THINKING BROTHER!" Papyrus chimed in, echoing the sentiment. "TOSS THEM IN THE CART AS WE GO TORIEL, I WILL REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE EACH ONE IS SO WE CAN RETURN IT THERE IF WE DECIDE AGAINST IT."

She looked over at the younger skeleton gratefully, feeling a bit impressed as well. Papyrus proved himself time and time again to be a monster of many talents, this being no exception. With all the other skills he'd demonstrated in the past, she had no doubt he could do what he said he could.

There was always a part of her that wondered if things like Papyrus' sharp memory and unusual physics defying powers originated from Gaster's experiments. But she wouldn't allow that thought today, not with what had happened that morning still hovering over her and her dear skeleton. At least from the look of things, no one had caught onto her brief unease.

"you're the best bro." Sans praised his brother, giving him a playful nudge with his elbow.

Papyrus grinned confidently and laid a gloved hand upon his chest.

"WHY OF COURSE, AND SOON TO BE BEST UNCLE!" He proudly reminded them.

Toriel had a feeling she'd be hearing that reminder plenty of the next few months. But it was one she was all too happy to have repeated to her. She followed after him towards the racks of baby clothes, allowing herself to feel that rush of excitement again. The rows of adorable tiny clothing options were soon within her sights, endlessly endearing in their size and in the funny phrases on them. On everything from onesies to socks meant for the smallest of feet. Or likely paws, in their child's case.

She eventually followed up with Papyrus' advice and began to pick out the things that caught her eye. Onesies with little sheep on them, halloween themed baby sized socks from the discounted rack decorated with bones, tiny mittens and winter hats, even a few pairs of shorts. She purposefully picked out a few that were similar to the kind Sans wore, if only for the novelty. And of course, she got a little rainbow of tiny socks. She left out the shoes by habit, never having worn them herself.

She was confident that, at least while their child was small, they could fit into these human-intended clothes. Even if she would have to potentially modify tail and horn holes into them at some point, depending on what physical traits they inherited from her. If they grew as quickly as Asriel had, perhaps they wouldn't be as small for as long as it would be for a human. But if Sans' worries about their child's size being more aligned with his own ended up being true in some way…

Her thoughts didn't have much time to wander, as due to Papyrus' suggested method, they had already reached the end of the long aisle of clothing. Frisk had been waiting for them there holding a few clothing suggestions of their own. Flowey hadn't bothered to pitch in it seemed, but he watched them all as though they were some mildly amusing spectacle.

Upon reaching Frisk, Papyrus stopped with cart in a dramatic fashion, perfectly aligned with where the aisle came to an end. His brother came ambling up behind him, looking a little winded from the the quick pace of it all. Once they were all together again, they all gathered around the cart to look over what had been selected. A variable wardrobe of pastel colors and cutesy designs stared back up at them. It was more than they needed, admittedly. Especially at this stage. But Toriel could already tell she was going to have trouble deciding what _not_ to keep.

As Papyrus critically compared two colorful onesies for their potential "coolness", Toriel noticed Frisk showing Sans something in particular they'd picked out. It didn't take long for whatever it was to make the lights of his eyes sparkle.

"tori, check this one out." He said, turning so that she could see what he was holding better.

Upon seeing it, she couldn't help but giggle a bit. It was a black onesie with patterning on it to make look like the wearer was a little skeleton. And best of all, it displayed the greatly humorous words "bad to the bone" on the front in a goofy cartoonish font. While the outfit was likely another leftover from the humans' halloween collection, it was hard not to find it perfect for them.

"c'mon t, we gotta." Sans said through a enthused chuckle, looking at the tiny piece of clothing fondly. "it's got a lil hood and everything."

With that, both he and Frisk seemed to be imploring her with their looks alone, and she found it most difficult to resist it when either one of them gave her that look. Combined together, they were a force to be reckoned with, even with her usual strong resolve. Perhaps if they had been asking for something less agreeable, it would be a different story. But she wasn't about to object to something as cute as the tiny sweatshirt. Already she could picture how their little one might look in it, and it was an image too wonderful not to give it a chance to be reality.

"Very well, you two." She said in a slightly teasing voice, taking and looking over the the tiny hoodie as the two exchange a pleased look. "It does seem perfect, does it not? I am sure they will love it."

Once she ensured it was soft and durable enough for her liking, she added it to the cart with the rest of their things. She then gave Frisk's hair an affectionate tousle.

"Thank you, my child" She said, wanting to give praise where it was due.

Frisk smiled brightly, but shook their head and raised their hands to sign to her.

(Chara picked it, actually.) They clarified.

Toriel blinked at that, surprised. Not as much as she would have been had Frisk indicated it was Flowey who'd chosen it. She looked to him and he gave his silent confirmation with a somewhat put-upon nod. She felt a warm smile stretch across her face as she gave her child's hair yet another ruffle.

"Well thank you then Chara." She praised them. "You always did have a wonderful eye for things like this, my little artist."

Even though not currently in control, Chara' influence was enough that upon receiving the compliment, Frisk's cheeks flushed the soft pink that had always seemed to color the first fallen human's face. It was harder to see due to Frisk's darker skin tone, but it couldn't escape Toriel's eye.

After that, both her human children seemed to be less hesitant to participate, and things slowed down to a more manageable pace as they finished sorting through the clothing items she'd picked out. Most of it was kept, as Toriel figured having a decent start to their wardrobe would be better then to be picky. But a few were sent back to the hangers for unsatisfactory material, size or simply because they just didn't feel right to Toriel upon second glance. She knew it was a balancing act between being picky while also being reasonable in what the child would need.

She applied those same principles to the other items they looked at as well, with everyone offering up their own suggestions and pointing out things that caught their eye. It made the actual act of choosing things like a bassinet or baby toys more difficult, but by the end she felt more satisfied in her decision than she likely would have alone. As they continued down all the aisles set aside for infant related products, the cart continued to fill and Papyrus crossed more and more things off his list.

Each little item felt special to Toriel, and she took a moment with every one to imagine her little one using it somehow and being happy. It all filled her with a wonderful warmth and a new excitement that buzzed within her, one she hadn't experienced in decades. It made it all the more difficult to maintain responsibility and only purchase the essentials. Usually she was the one reminding others of that, but today she was fighting the urge herself.

Things like the crib and the stroller were agreed to be saved for later, as they already had quite a lot of things to load into the van at this point. Though they did have fun looking at the options regardless. None of them were quite as fancy as what Asriel had, but the humbleness of them proved more appealing to Toriel anyway. She made a mental note of one painted a soft white color that she would seek out again later when the time came.

Eventually they decided to leave the aisle of baby supplies before they ended up filling the cart entirely. Since they were already there and the store had more options than anything in Newer Home currently could provide, they decided to get some groceries while they were there as well. Due to the massive size of the place, they decided to split up to cover more ground. Papyrus was going to want to head straight to the pasta section after all, and wherever they kept the oatmeal with the little dinosaur eggs.

The children wanted to accompany him, perhaps sensing he'd be easier to convince to buy them some extra sweets on the side. She allowed it regardless though, figuring Papyrus was responsible enough not to let them go completely overboard. She'd still checking when they got back though…

She also agreed in part as it would allow her and Sans to discuss all they'd bought together, as well as process the emotions the whole situation had summoned. Looking at all these things that would one day be used by their child… it was another reminder of just how real this was. Each step they took in preparing made the idea of their impending parenthood more tangible. It was an exciting feeling no doubt, but one that renewed some nerves for both of them as well.

Sans expressed as such as they paused outside the aisles of food, looking over their cart of supplies. He was clearly worn out by the whole experience, but was nonetheless unable able to banish the genuine, bright smile from his face. Seeing that from him was downright infectious, and soon the both of them were caught up in their usual banter of joking around mixed in with some slightly more grounded talk. But nothing that was allowed to get too serious. This outing was meant to be fun, an exciting first opportunity to shape what their life would soon be. They could certainly figure out the details of it all once they got home.

They explored the aisles of food and made puns out of all the human brands names they'd never seen before. Some with results that had them giggling enough to get quite a few looks from the other human shoppers. Even when she tried to resist or muffle it with her paw, he'd always find some other food with a silly name that would break her composure. As embarrassing as it sometimes was… she wasn't sure she'd want an outing with him to go any other way.

Eventually they found themselves in the refrigerated section, where they both indulged in plenty of _cheesy_ puns, _milk_ ing them for all they were worth. While she looked through the options of cheese slices she could use for future school lunches, she noticed out of the corner of her eye as Sans passed in front of that a human teenager who was manning a sample table. He had messy orange hair, a mouth full of braces, and tired eyes that showed he really would rather be doing anything else.

As Sans stepped in front of him though, he forced himself to stand straight and put on a weak, forced sort of smile. It reminded her of how Danny… or "Burgerpants", as was apparently his nickname, would often look when he spoke about his old job at Mettaton's burger restaurant.

"Hello, uh…" The human began to speak to Sans, but then narrowed his eyes as he looked him over.

"...Sir?" He finally finished, smiling uncertainly before clearing his throat and gesturing to the large wheel of cheese sitting on his table. "Would you like to try some of our new organic local cheese?"

The forced nature of his smile carried over to the forced cheerfulness in his voice. Sans just chuckled in an almost sympathetic tone and shrugged his shoulders.

"heh, sure, cheese tends to make any day _cheddar_." He said, turning his head back towards her with a playful wink.

She snorted and poorly muffled another round of giggles into her paw. She continued looking through the shelves she was at, but kept some of her attention directed at the exchange happening behind her.

"Haha… ha..." The teen pretended to laughed in the same painfully forced manner. "It's uh… actually camembert."

With that, he moved to cut Sans a slice, pulling out a small knife from within his sample cart. Toriel caught the gleam of its blade under the harsh artificial lights out of the corner of her eye.

The next thing Toriel knew, there was a loud crashing sound that seemed to shatter the peaceful doldrum of the shopping center. She jumped in surprise and whipped around towards where it had come from. But even before her eyes had caught sight of the source of the sound, she knew in her soul what had happened.

Sans was sitting amongst a now broken set of shelves directly across from the sample cart, having jumped back into them in a flash of panic. Cartons of eggs and bottles of coffee creamer had burst open and spilled all over him. Yet more had been splashed across the floor below and was still dribbling down, making the sight look like some sort of crime scene. And most striking of all was Sans' eyelight blazing away, flashing between its alternating colors in a way it hadn't done in a long time.

All was eerily silent for a few moments, apart from the dripping of the still spilling creamer and the faint, cheesy music playing in the store. Even Sans himself was silent, not daring to even breathe or shudder as he stared down the human holding the knife. Sweat poured down his skull and he was positively rigid. Even from a distance, his magical aura radiated a deep and confused fear that seemed to permeate the air itself. Toriel couldn't know exactly what he was seeing, but she knew it certainly wasn't the reality in front of him.

It was the young human who broke out of the shock first, unaware of the true weight of the situation.

"Woah, hey man, you alright?!" He asked, dropping the knife on the table and rounding his sample cart in an attempt to try and help.

Before Toriel could warn him he rushed over and offered out a hand to the skeleton, and she felt her soul seize up a bit within her as she feared he would promptly be sent flying across the store as Sans took hold of his soul.

But he didn't. Sans hadn't fully lost himself this time. As she hurried to his side, she realized his eyelight's blaze had already began to peter out. Once the human had dropped the knife, Sans had snapped out of it. It had been the initial shock that had sent him scrambling back into the shelves, but it hadn't taken much to bring him back to reality again. That was a big difference in comparison to the first few times she'd witnessed his panic attacks, but she knew that fact, no matter how reassuring, would be the last thing on Sans' mind at the moment.

His weak, normal eyelights returned, if only a fraction of their usual size, and he blinked up at the human for a moment. Then he slowly looked down at the mess he was in, quite literally. Finally he turned his gaze to Toriel next to him. She could see recognition in his gaze, increasing every second.

As full realization for him set in though, Sans still succumbed to the lingering panic and fled. Before she could say anything or reach out to touch him, in a brief flash of blinding light, he'd vanished, leaving the mess behind in his wake. Toriel had seen his shortcut coming and shut her eyes on impulse, but the human teen cursed in surprise and was rubbing his eyes when Toriel reopened her own.

"Oh geez, did I do something?" He asked, sounding truly concerned, and oddly unphased by the sudden act of teleportation he'd witnessed. "Is he gonna be alright? He didn't just... vaporize or something did he?"

His lack of a more negative reaction surprised her, and she turned to look at him more directly. Her soul was still stirring rapidly in her chest, but she forced herself to calm down and offer a reply. Becoming panicked herself wouldn't help this situation.

"It… it is alright, do not blame yourself." She said, setting a still spilling carton of creamer upright again. "He will be okay. He just teleported somewhere. He… he has an issue with knives is all."

She fixed a few things on the shelf as best she could, at least to the point nothing was actively adding to the mess anymore. Meanwhile her mind was racing, trying to figure out where Sans' sudden shortcut could have taken him. He made it clear to her in the past that it was an ability that required focus to pull off correctly, so if he executed one in a panic…

The thudding of feet in the distance signaled that more humans, likely more staff, were rushing over to assess the damage. Toriel internally winced at the idea that this be another dent in monster-human relations, another incident the more bigoted humans would surely hold over their heads. She didn't have time at the moment to deal with their inevitable anger and accusations, she needed to find Sans.

"I will pay for all this, of course." She said to the human teen quickly, rising to her feet. "You can tell your bosses that. But I need to go find him first."

The human blinked then just nodded, looking rather bewildered by the whole situation. She dug around in her purse and dropped a few G into his hand.

"That should cover it, and keep one for yourself as a tip." She said rapidly, before turning and rushing away.

She did catch his eyes growing wide at the sight of the golden coins, but she was long gone by the time he could have said anything. Halfway down the aisle though, she nearly collided with Papyrus. She made eye contact with him, and just from the expression on his face she knew he too had witnessed what had happened. Papyrus wasted no time in speaking up, a rare full seriousness to his expression.

"HE COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN FAR, NOT WHEN HE WAS IN DISTRESS." He said, pointing in the direction of the toy and outdoor activities aisles. "YOU CHECK OVER THERE, AND I'LL CHECK OVER WHERE THE CHILDREN ARE."

She followed his gaze then to where Frisk was standing with Flowey amongst the potted plants that filled with nursery section of the store. They looked confused and concerned, which made Toriel believe they hadn't witnessed the whole of what had happened. After all, if they had, they of all people would know what had fueled it. There was still guilt there though, showing that they had some idea of what had occurred. Flowey just gazed around as though halfheartedly looking for where Sans had disappeared off too. But even he seemed somewhat unnerved by the whole thing.

Toriel made brief eye contact with Frisk, communicating a silent understanding before she turned to go search in the area Papyrus had suggested. As much as she'd rather them come with her, she knew they'd be okay with Papyrus, and would try and search on their own regardless of what she said. Frisk may be well behaved most of the time, but there was little swaying them when they were determined to do something. She hoped though, deep down, that they wouldn't be the one to find Sans after what had just happened. Depending on how Sans was feeling at that moment, they may be the last person he wished to see.

Toriel wandered the aisles for a short time, trying to call for him without making too much of a scene. The incident had already caused a few humans to start shooting them dirty looks here and there, but she did her best to ignore them. She scanned the shelves of toys and looked inside tent displays that were set up, but found no trace of him. With his small size and the enormity of the place, it made the prospect of finding him feel a little hopeless. Who knows where his panicked shortcut had taken him?

Something told her that he was close though, some vague feeling that was hard to pin down, but that she trusted nonetheless. Perhaps it was all in her head, but she followed that feeling regardless as she continued her search. Whether it was coincidence or something more, she couldn't be sure, but that feeling eventually led her to a tower of large plastic balls near the center of the toy section.

It was like a tall cage filled with balls of multiple colors and sizes, something she imagined most children would find hard to resist asking their guardians for. But it wasn't the colorful nature of the toys that had caught her eye. It was the fact that the balls were ever so subtly shifting, as though there were something inside that was moving. Or rather… something on top.

It was high enough up that she couldn't see if that was the case, but judging from the way the balls were moving it seemed to be likely. It was certainly big enough to potentially be where he'd ended up, and it would make sense for his magic to want to take him somewhere up high and perceivably safe. She acted on that hunch, stepping over to the tower and raising her voice enough to be heard.

"Sans dear… are you up there?" She asked, ignoring the looks from some passing human children.

There was a long silence, to the point she started to feel silly. But then the tower of balls shifted again and she heard a faint, all too familiar sigh.

"no." Sans' voice came from above, tone low and irritated.

Toriel blinked, surprised by his response, but hit with a flood of relief that he was indeed there. She stepped closer, trying to see around the colorful spheres to catch a glimpse of him atop of the structure.

"Are you alright? I saw what happened…" She said, ensuring to keep her voice gentle and calm. "Would you come down so we can talk about it?"

There was another shifting of the ball tower, an almost comical sight as the plastic toys rubbed against one another with a rather amusing noise. But Sans did not appear.

"can't." He replied curtly. "i'm stuck. and i'm too… i can't really focus enough to take another shortcut right now…"

Toriel tilted her head a bit in confusion.

"Stuck?" She questioned, pushing some of the toys aside and moving her head in, allowing her to finally catch a glimpse of him above.

He had likely teleported right on top of the tower, but the momentum had caused even his light form to sink into the shifting mass. Only his upper torso seemed to still be free, while she caught sight of his dangling legs hanging a little bit above her.

"Oh I see. Hold on then, I will come and get you." She said, briefly assessing the situation before moving to do so.

It was no doubt a silly sight as she climbed the outer structure a bit as to more easily reach him. It groaned a bit under her weight, but held firm enough that she was confident she wouldn't bring it down with her. Plenty of passers by paused to look at her oddly, but she didn't pay them any mind. Knowing most city humans, they would have stared regardless of what she was doing.

She managed to get a hold of him and after a bit of tugging and moving plastic balls aside, pulled him free. She held him close to her chest as she hopped down from the tower, not caring about the egg and creamer stains she was likely getting on her as a result. Though part of her just wanted to keep him in her arms and comfort him, she knew he may not exactly be in the mood. She gently set him down on his feet, and only then could she get a good look at him.

He kept his gaze turned downwards and was quick to pull his hood up over his skull, but there was no hiding the stains all over him. The blue of his hoodie was marred by splashes of white, and the soft gray hood itself was sullied by the mess as well. Even his slippers hadn't escape unscathed. But to her relief, he didn't seem to be injured at all. The sight certainly didn't stop the staring from passers by, and Toriel worried about those people who ran the store coming after them again. The last thing Sans needed right now was to be yelled at about this, but making them understand that would likely be a lost cause.

"thanks t…" He said quietly, pulling her attention back down to him.

She felt a pang of sympathy for him in her soul, noting the apologetic tone that had overtaken his previous irritated one.

"You are welcome, dear." She said, laying a paw against his back and giving it a gentle rub. "Are you hurt at all? It looked like you hit those shelves pretty hard…"

He simply shook his head with soft sound of dismissal. That worried her some. Not because she believed he was lying, but because it was a level of avoidance she hadn't seen from him in a while. It was only then through the touch of her paw on his back that she could really feel how stirred up and unsettled his soul still was from all that, and the fact that he ever so slightly trembling. There was the expected shame there too, which was what was keeping him currently shut done more than anything.

"How about we go sit and talk outside for a bit?" She suggested gently, offering him her paw. "Papyrus is with the children and I can let him know you are alright. We will not go far in any case."

More than anything in that moment she just wanted to get him out of there, especially as more humans stopped to look their way. She could only imagine how she would feel if she was in his shoes at that moment. Seeing as he wasn't already simply taking a shortcut home to avoid dealing with the situation further, then she had reason to worry he was more affected by all this than he was letting on.

He still didn't lift his gaze to look at her, keeping his head low in general so that the shadow covered his face. But he did slowly reach up and take her paw in return, giving it a brief, tight squeeze.

"alright…" He conceded softly.

Toriel was happy to take that as an affirmation for the moment, and didn't waste time in beginning to walk with him to the exit. She chose the less conspicuous one near the back, figuring it should keep the level of people who spotted and continued to look at them as thought they some unsightly curiosities to a minimum. As they walked, she pulled out her phone and quickly tapped out a text to Papyrus with the claw on her thumb.

(Dear Papyrus,

I found him, he is alright. I am going to go sit outside and talk with him for a bit. Could you keep an eye on Frisk and Flowey while I do? I will be back with you shortly.

Sincerely,

Toriel.)

A playful chime indicated it had been sent and she moved to pocket the phone. But before even a minute had passed, it buzzed back. A bit dumbfounded, she picked it up to see a return text from Papyrus, written in his usual excited caps lock.

(FANTASTIC NEWS! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT! LEAVE THE UNCLE-ING TO ME! I SHALL GO RESCUE OUR ABANDONED CART AND FINISH UP THE SHOPPING WITH FRISK AND FLOWEY. LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU ARE READY TO LEAVE!)

She breathed a soft sigh of relief, resolving that she needed to once again find some way to repay Papyrus for his constant help. She honestly wasn't sure what she and Sans would do without him at this point. She lifted her clawed thumb to begin typing a reply, but before she could, another text popped up on the screen.

(AND PLEASE, TELL SANS IT WASN'T HIS FAULT AND THAT WE AREN'T UPSET WITH HIM)

She blinked at that, struck by the compassion of the words. She glanced over at Sans as they walked and gave his hand a little squeeze before typing her reply.

(Of course, thank you so much, my friend.)

With that, she decidedly focused her attention back on the situation at hand. Now that it was all over, it was easier to understand what had happened. It had been a long time since Sans had had an episode like that. Especially in a public place like this. That fact had to be weighing on him just as much as everything else.

Thankfully, they were able to slip out the back entrance without any sign of the store's management coming after them. The chilly air of late winter met them as they pushed through the doors, and Toriel pulled up the neck of her sweater a bit. The sight that met them was that of another parking lot, this one being far less populated than the front one. It wasn't exactly an ideal place to settle one's mind, but there were a bench under a small cluster of barren trees nearby that looked to be away from main lot enough to allow them some privacy.

They made their way over to it without a word, taking careful steps across the snow laden concrete. Upon reaching it, the old bench groaned a little under Toriel's weight, but managed to hold firm. Had its feet not been bolted into the ground, she was sure Sans' side would be lifted up into the air. If he were more in his usual joking mood, she may have pointed out as much for a laugh. For now though, jokes didn't seem all that appropriate.

For a moment, both were silent and just watched the occasional faint flurries of falling snow. They were hints of what was likely to come, signaling they'd probably get another heavy snowfall overnight. Toriel touched her stomach lightly and let her fire magic well up just enough to warm her paw, subconsciously wanting to ensure the little one within her didn't grow cold. As was now a pleasant routine, she felt their faint magic stirring in return. It helped in her confidence in facing this, and she cleared her throat before turning to speak to the skeleton beside her.

"That young man at the sample station wished to apologize." She began, speaking gently. "He was quite understanding, even if I was not exactly specific."

Sans glanced at her out of the corner of his sockets, expression weary and difficult to read. He seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of being fully pulled in this conversation. But in line with his continual progress, he didn't try to laugh it off or change the subject. Like or not, these moments of talking through their issues was a normal thing for them now. Moreso before at the start of their relationship, but continuing to be necessary from time to time. And given both of their histories… Toriel doubted they would ever truly stop being needed. He let out a heavy sigh, sinking down on the bench a bit.

"i still wrecked a bunch of stuff, and made a damn scene." He pointed out, a strained mix of emotions in his tone. "you're going to foot the bill for that, aren't you?"

She shook her head dismissively, keeping a soft smile on her face.

"It is no trouble, my dear, the damage looked a lot worse than it was." She assured him.

When that didn't seem to actually offer him any comfort, she quickly continued, reaching over at the same time to pick some gooey remnants of egg off his hood.

"We are not hurting for money at the moment, a little extra spent in this case is no issue. Do not worry about it." She said, flicking it away.

Sans didn't say anything in return for a while, staring down at the snow covered concrete below as Toriel continued to pick whatever meager amount of the mess off of him she could. The human intended bench was high enough that his slippered feet hung a bit rather than touch the ground. It somehow only added to his sorry appearance.

"i thought i was over this…" He finally said, causing her to pause and focus on him again. "why did it still affect me like that? it just… i wasn't ready for it at all."

Her soul ached for him upon hearing that, but she wasn't sure what exactly to say in return. There was much she wanted to say, but whether or not it was what he needed to hear was another thing entirely. She'd have to go with her gut and hope for the best.

"My dear, you truly you have made great progress. Please do not doubt that." She assured him. "But as I have said before, healing is not a straight shot. It is... like a winding road with plenty of obstacles, one that no map could ever truly guide you through."

She paused, wondering if the metaphor was really the best way to address this. She decided to leave it at that and moved on to being more direct.

"Anyway, it is not your fault, love. These things can happen. As frustrating as it is... your past fears are likely to still affect you in certain circumstances for a long time. Sometimes worse than others… Things like that are incredibly difficult to fully move past, especially with what you endured."

She gained a somewhat faraway look in her eyes, casting her own mind back.

"I doubt I need to remind you that I too am still sometimes affected by the things that echo the traumas I have endured in the past… even after all the centuries I have lived. And though I too have made efforts to better reconcile with everything I have been through… I am not free of the scars they have left on me. I may never be completely. But... that is okay."

It was all things she'd said before, but it was moments like this that she felt he needed reminding that he wasn't the only one still struggling with things like this. She leaned over and carefully drew him into a hug, smelly, sticky mess and all. She gave him a tight squeeze and settled her chin atop his skull.

"Do not be so hard on yourself, everything will be fine." She said softly, letting her eyes fall shut for a moment.

He was quiet again for a few moments, the air filled with the distant chatter of customers inside the store and the noisy rumble of the nearby motorway. All of it was pleasantly muffled by the now softly falling snow. Finally he pressed into her embrace, even if he kept his hands in his hoodie pockets. Something shifted in the emotions emanating from his soul, as they seemed to clear up a little. Like a shaft of sunlight penetrating through layers of clouds.

"heh, you know… some people may not find all that very reassuring." He joked weakly, but there was lightness there that hadn't been present before.

He turned his head to press his face into the soft fur of her neck, letting out another, less weighty sigh.

"but thanks t, i know what you meant." He murmured, voice slightly muffled.

She managed a smile and held him close again, feeling the last lingering bits of stirred up magic begin to even out within him. Based on what she could feel, they were all very lucky this incident hadn't resulted in a wall of bone attacks or a few angry blasters bursting on to the scene. It spoke to Sans' improvement in handling such things, but it was a reminder of how delicate the situation had truly been.

There was a time where Sans could be wholly unaffected by such things, where he could even watch his loved ones be dusted and feel little. Indeed, one could say he spent much of his life that way, with what could be called his true self deeply buried and rarely revealing itself. But things weren't like that anymore, and she prayed they never would be again. It would be far worse to see him reduced to that once more. But with his choice to work towards improvement came risks like these, and though things had been improving, clearly they both still had a long road ahead of them. She felt a need to offer more than just placating words at this point.

It was a… somewhat avoided subject between them. But this felt like a sign that it was time to address it.

"We can think of some ways that might help you stay grounded in those moments." She said, moving so she could face him again. "But… it may be time for us to consider finding a real therapist… for both of us."

He blinked at that, clearly taken off guard by the suggestion. Various emotions briefly flashed through his eyelights before he shut his sockets and chuckled in a sarcastic tone.

"you think any ordinary shrink is going to believe what we've been through?" He asked, shrugging dismissively. "we'd have to destroy their mental state in order for them to even understand ours."

She worried her lip with her fangs, unable to think of a quick retort to that. Still, she felt the issue was too important to simply back down from right away.

"You have a point…" She conceded, quietly. "But we may just need to find someone who is... _not_ any ordinary shrink. And… work on figuring out how to explain this all to someone in a way that can make sense. We may even need to make it something of a white lie, or a lie by omission, but in a way that would still allow them to understand… some measure of the situation. Enough in order to offer some form of advice."

He still looked skeptical about the idea, and even a little defensive. He'd been testy about the idea of seeing a therapist in the past, and she could hardly blame him for that given his set of circumstances. It had taken a lot of careful work and patience on her part to get him to open up to her. The idea of him doing that with a total stranger felt about as likely as him running a marathon. No matter how she phrased it, it was doubtful she could get him to easily change his mindset on the matter. Though she did notice his expression soften a bit as he glanced over at her middle again, and a new sort of worry shimmered in his eyelights.

She reached over and laid her paw on his shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

"It is just something to think about." She assured him, allowing the subject to be dropped for now. "We will figure out what to do."

He hummed softly in acknowledgement, staring back down at his slippered feet. There was an evident relief on his face that he wouldn't have to discuss the idea further, but it was obvious that the new element of the baby had changed how he viewed it. She didn't need to say anything about the newly raised stakes that the impending arrival of their little one brought to the table. Toriel knew he would have a lot of thinking to do, not only about what was best for him and his own mental health, but also for their child. And those were things she couldn't decide for him. He would need to sort them out for himself in the end.

That fact, on top of the fact that the mess sticking to his clothing was starting to develop an odor, led her to offer a different suggestion.

"Do you think you can get yourself home? It may be best for you to go relax for a bit… plus a shower and a change of clothes might help." She said, shooting him an amused grin. "Even if you still look _egg-_ celent."

The pun took a moment to register, but once it did it did its job. He chuckled in a way that was warm and genuine as he brushed a bit more of the dried yolk and eggshell fragments off himself. She shared in that quiet laughter, and there was a sense that, while the seriousness of the situation was not lost, they were at the point they could joke about it a little. It would likely always be one their first steps in coping with things.

"yeah. should work fine now." He said, sitting up a little more. "guess i'll meet you guys back at the house then…"

He paused, then continued in a softer voice.

"...sorry for uh... ruining all this."

Something in his expression told her that he regretted the words as soon as they left him, perhaps unbidden. Not because he didn't mean it, but because he knew what she was going to say in return. They both still occasionally slipped up in their mutual imposed rule against speaking negatively about themselves, and it was the other's duty in that moment to call them out on it. Toriel settled for just a knowing look this time, as Sans had already caught himself, and he'd just been through something especially extreme. He didn't need further chastising.

She did recognize one thing he needed in that moment though, and pulled him into another hug. A little tighter than the last one.

"You have not ruined anything. I promise." She assured him, pressing a little kiss to his cheekbone when she was sure there were no prying eyes. "This was not your fault, and no one is upset with you. No one that matters anyway. Now go get some rest. We will be there soon. I have my phone if you need me."

He blushed a bit in response to all the attention he just received, still ever easily flustered it seemed. But behind that, there a spark of deep gratitude for her words, even if they were something he heard from her more often than he was happy with. Still, she could then see as well as feel his emotions shift in a more positive direction. It was a small improvement in the grand scheme of things, but it was enough for now.

"alright…" He agreed through another, softer sigh.

He looked up at her with a heavy look in his eyelights, but a smile that was a lot more genuine than before. He gave her paw a little squeeze, clearly wanting to do more to return her affections, but not currently feeling up to the task. She returned the gesture with a smile, silently assuring him not to worry about it.

"thanks tori… guess i'll see ya then." He said, sliding forward off the bench so that he landed on his feet with a soft crunch in the thin layer of snow.

Before she could so much as blink, he disappeared in a familiar bright flash of cyan, leaving Toriel alone in the parking lot with her thoughts. Though nowadays, she was never _truly_ alone. She laid her paw over her middle briefly, grateful for the subtle presence of their child there with her. After her time in the Ruins, the idea of being alone again, even in situations like this, instilled a fear in her that went deeper than it would for most monsters.

Their child couldn't yet offer any unique advice on what should be done about the current situation she and Sans were facing, but Toriel could at least imagine they were listening, and paying attention to the emotions at play. That thought helped as she lingered there on the bench a bit longer, trying to piece together the details of what had happened a little more before heading inside.

Even if what had happened wasn't entirely surprising and had happened before, it was a bit strange for his panic response to flare up so badly again. He really had been doing a lot better as of late, managing to stay calm in the face of what usually set him off without relying on withdrawing into his old apathy. It had been a slow process of improvement, but he hadn't had an incident like that in some time.

Something occurred to her then, hitting her like a slap to the face. Of course, how could she forget? Sans' moment of panic was not the only distressing thing that had happened to him today. He had had a nightmare the previous night, or at least some odd dream, one that she seemed to somehow share in part… both relating to his father.

It hadn't come up in their discussion, perhaps mutually overlooked in the moment, but in retrospect it really could have played a role in all of this. Perhaps trying to wait to discuss it later that night hadn't been the best idea after all. Even with their efforts to not read too much into it, those dark visions of the former royal scientist, and the implications behind them, had been haunting them both all day. It was little surprise Sans was more on edge than usual.

She felt another harsh pang of concern and sympathy for him, wondering what must be going through his thoughts at that moment. The usual weight of worry began to press down on her, and she hurriedly got up from the bench to head back inside. The sooner she met up with Papyrus and her children, settled whatever drama there was with the store owners over the damage, and got their items paid for, the sooner they could all head home. Despite her confidence that Sans would be fine and would benefit from a little time alone to think, she wanted to be there for him through this if she could. And there was now no avoiding talking about their mysterious dreams regarding Gaster...

As she was about to step through the automatic doors though, she caught sight of something in the corner of her eye. It was like a shadow briefly passing through her vision, keeping to the edges as to remain unclear. It only lasted a moment, but it was enough to make her pause and look back behind her. Nothing but the usual rows of cars and empty parking spaces stared back at her, bright under the artificial lights. Despite that, there was an eerie sense that she was being watched... though with all the humans that been gawking at her and her family today, perhaps that wasn't surprising. After staring out in the seemingly empty parking lot for a few long moments, she felt silly for her actions and turned away.

She pressed on into the store, trying to explain away the abrupt unsettling feeling swirling about within her soul as just another side effect of her pregnancy.


	11. Bump in the night

The night found Toriel sitting on the living room couch, sipping a mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows. In front of her, the fireplace crackled as it burned steadily in a small controlled blaze of pale purple flames. On her lap were the newly purchased baby clothes, which she was sorting and folding now that they all had been through their first washing. All around her sat her family, also going through the day's purchases.

Papyrus was gushing over the adorable nature of the baby blankets and tiny stuffed animals as he sorted them into boxes marked with the age they would be appropriate for the baby to play with. Though he did also state that a set of baby armor and a cape would have been even better. Flowey sat on the coffee table nearby, watching everyone else with a dull disinterest and occasionally offering a dry comment on whatever Papyrus was currently holding.

Sans was sitting on the other side of the couch, laying against a pillow and staring at the curls of steam rising from his own mug of cocoa. He looked weary despite all the sleep he'd gotten in while they were away. But he had washed up and was in clean clothes now at least, having chosen to change into a cozy sky blue sweater and dark sweatpants decorated with cartoony looking stars.

He had also been helping sort the newly bought clothes, as shown by the small box of neatly paired socks sitting on the floor beside him. But now he was serving as a pillow of sorts for Frisk, who had tired of sorting after a while and chosen to snuggle up with him. Toriel had a feeling that Frisk, being as empathetic as they often were, was primarily doing it as a means of comforting Sans after what had happened. And despite the context of what had set him off at the store, Sans seemed happy to accept it.

He idly rubbed the child's back with one hand as he remained rather lost in thought, and she could just hear the child's soft breathing as they dozed against him.

Despite the cozy atmosphere, there was still a bit of tension in the room. Upon arriving home and confirming that Sans was alright, they all had decided to get everything unloaded from the van and prepped for future use before diving into the inevitable questions that Toriel knew would come up. Perhaps it had been stalling on some level, but now that everyone was gathered and everything was just about finished being organized, she knew it was time to speak up.

"So… I feel it is best we all discuss what happened at the store, together." She said, gaining everyone's attention, and rousing the half-asleep Frisk.

After a moment of consideration, she made a quick addition.

"As well as something else that happened last night... to me and Sans."

That certainly made everyone focus on her, even Flowey who had only been showing half-interest until that point. She looked at Sans, searching for a sign of how he felt about this. While the expected unease was there, he nodded solemnly and carefully sat up. He downed the rest of his drink in one swig and set the empty mug on the coffee table with a weighty sigh. Frisk put a hand on his arm, their soft brown eyes full of concern. He managed a smile for them and ruffled their hair reassuringly before turning to face everyone else.

"it was nothing new." He said with a small shrug of his shoulders. "just… got taken by surprise is all. honestly, that poor kid looked more scared than me, heh."

His smile grew a bit, and he chuckled softly for a moment. Though Toriel thought the sound felt a bit forced.

"it's kind of more funny than anything in hindsight. even if it was _egg_ -stra embarrassing." He quipped, shooting a wink her way.

The pun did get her lips to twitch upwards, but she managed to resist laughing outright. She didn't really appreciate how he was trying to make light of the whole incident, especially when she could easily recall the flash of terror she'd seen in his eyelights in that moment. But seeing as he was clearly trying to avoid inspiring too much guilt in the human child sitting beside him, who was already looking affected by the topic at hand, she supposed it was fine for the moment.

"Yes well… we are going to take better measures to help you handle situations like that going forward." She added, mostly to alleviate the concerns of the others.

Sans himself didn't look too comforted by the notion, no doubt imagining more talks regarding the idea of professional therapy. But he nodded with a soft, affirming sound. Unfortunately for him, the next topic of discussion wasn't exactly going to be an easy one either.

"As for what happened last night…" She began, before slowly plunging into the full story.

She recounted what little bits of relevant information she had to offer, every detail she could recall about the strange, distorted image of Gaster she'd witnessed. Sans followed suit, speaking in a flat, matter-of-fact tone as he did that felt unnerving coming from him. By the time the two of them had finished, everyone in the room had fallen silent, staring at them with wide eyes full of uncertainty and a hint of fear. Though some were more open about it than others.

"now it might not mean anything." Sans said upon being met with the stunned reaction. "but it's definitely worth taking note of. if ol g really did show up again someday. or well… whatever's left of him… he… he could be dangerous."

More silence followed his words, and Toriel saw signs of the others wanting to say something, something that they were nervous to speak up about. Frisk and Flowey in particular exchanged an uneasy glance. Papyrus was the one who finally spoke first though, fidgeting uneasily with his mug from his place on the floor.

"U-UM…" He started but faltered, looking nervous in what was a far cry from his usual glowing self confidence. "I… DON'T REALLY REMEMBER MUCH OF IT… BUT I THINK I HAD A WEIRD DREAM ABOUT DAD TOO... A FEW DAYS AGO."

Both Toriel and Sans blinked in surprise. She hadn't been expecting to hear that, and Sans even less so, judging by the expression that quickly appeared on his face. Before she or Sans could say anything though, they both took notice of Frisk signing to them.

(Me too…) They said, forming the words hesitantly. (I can't remember much though either, just… the cracked face… and black eyes.)

Without missing a beat, Flowey sighed and chimed in as well, though he looked less affected than the others.

"I… might have seen something like that too… maybe." He said, tilting his head a bit in thought before continuing. "It was definitely something… creepy... and melty? That guy fits the bill for sure."

Toriel could only look at them all in shock. Thankfully Sans asked the question for her.

"why... didn't any of you say anything?"

The words hung heavy in the air, Sans' uneasiness clearly growing with each one. Frisk and Papyrus immediately looked a little guilty, while Flowey just rolled his eyes.

"I'M SORRY BROTHER." Papyrus was once again first to respond, fiddling with his gloves and looking towards the floor. "I'VE HAD A LOT OF WEIRD DREAMS SINCE GETTING MY MEMORIES BACK, ABOUT ALL SORTS OF THINGS, SO I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT WHEN IT HAPPENED… I WAS ABLE TO FORGET ABOUT IT RIGHT AWAY."

Frisk nodded in agreement, though they all knew the situation was different for them. Most likely, Frisk was also subject to reliving fragments of old memories in their dreams, not to mention those of Chara. None of them were as affected by such things as Sans had been, for various reasons, but the haunting memories of what they'd each endured in the Underground and in timelines past was something they all still had to deal with. Though Flowey offered no further response, she knew the same held true for him as well.

Sans seemed to accept this explanation, but it did little to settle his nerves. Toriel reached over and gently took his hand, both to offer comfort as well as gain his attention. She didn't want to ask the question currently burning on her tongue… but it felt necessary.

"Do you… think he may have escaped the Underground?" She managed after a moment, feeling a stronger sense of trepidation rise up in her as well. "Or at least… some part of him?"

His grip on her paw tightened, and his eyelights wavered in unpleasant thought before he let out another sigh.

"that's... a possibility." He admitted bitterly. "i didn't consider it before… but now that so many people can remember him… it might have… changed things for him. made it so he's not just a bunch of pieces scattered throughout space and time. and it's just like the old bastard to play mind games…"

His sockets narrowed at that, something dark passing over his expression. But it vanished as soon as it had come once Frisk tapped him to gain his attention. Fear still lingered in their eyes, eyes that were edging on shifting towards red. It became clear over time that Chara tended to take over whenever they could sense Frisk was growing distressed. But presently, Frisk seemed to be resisting that, wanting to face the situation themself.

(Do you think he's been watching us?) They asked, pressing a bit closer to Sans as they did.

Again, it seemed to take Sans a long moment to reply. Not because he didn't have an answer, but most likely because speaking it aloud meant more directly acknowledging it, almost inviting the concept into existence.

"i can't rule it out." He said at last, gently wrapping an arm around Frisk. "and if he's still… y'know… not all together… it wouldn't surprise me if he can make himself intangible to us."

If the previous implications hadn't sent a chill down all their spines, _that_ certainly did. No one could resist peering around uneasily at all the dark corners of the room, as though the flickering shadows cast by the firelight could leap out at them at any moment.

"Oh great." Flowey said, lowering in his pot a little and narrowing his eyes as they continued to dart back and forth. "So he could be like, spying on us or something _right now?_ "

The irony of that statement coming from Flowey wasn't lost on anyone present. But it paled in comparison to how it made the atmosphere of the usually cozy house around them grow oppressive. Those on the couch all shifted closer together without thinking, while Papyrus quickly reached over and picked up Flowey from the coffee table, hugging the flower monster's pot close to his chest.

"SANS… DO YOU THINK HE… WOULD WANT TO... HURT US?" He asked, peeking over the top of Flowey's head. "N-NOT THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM SCARED OR ANYTHING…"

The slight rattling of his bones and his anxious peering around seemed to counter that last statement, but he was hardly alone in that. Toriel too could feel fear beginning to wind its way around her soul like a shadowy serpent, as her imagination began to run away with her. Her claws slid out by instinct as she too looked to Sans to hear his answer.

But he looked just as unnerved about the possibility as she did, sockets having gone empty and dark. Sweat drops peppered his skull, and again it seemed he had to force the answer out in the end.

"i don't know pap…" He said quietly, his tone thick with old, dark emotions. "but it wouldn't surprise me, given his history. he was always obsessed with revenge… but i don't know if anything could really overpower his hatred of humans. in any case, if he got out... i doubt he'd just take it easy and let it all go..."

Again, all that met his words was a tense silence from everyone present, apart the soft crackling of the flames in the fireplace. After a moment Sans shook himself, bringing back his eyelights as he tried to look reassuring.

"try not to worry too much though…" He said, relaxing back against the couch a bit. "in the state he was in when i saw him in my dream… and well, occasionally in the underground, he wouldn't exactly be much of a threat. if he's dumb enough to actually try something, it should be easy enough to put him down."

His grin grew a bit stronger, and again that hint of dark emotion was visible in the lights of his eyes.

"after all, he's got plenty of sins for that good ol karmic retribution to burn him up for." He said, briefly freeing a hand to summon a bone attack and letting it spin lazily in the air above his palm. "if he's smart, he'll stay the hell away…"

He closed his hand, and the bone dissipated into a tiny shower of magical sparks. He stared at them until they vanished completely, then slipped his hand back into her paw without another word. Even through that light touch, she could feel the confused mix of emotions still running through him, many of them harsh and conflicting.

His words seemed to have offered him some confidence though, if only on the surface, but it was hard to say if it had done that for the others. Toriel certainly wasn't sure what to make of it. It was unlike him to be so openly… well, perhaps vengeful wasn't the correct word, but something along those lines. Though his deep anger towards his father was not a surprise, as it was something that had come through many times during her talks with him that previous spring.

Now there was at least the possibility that he'd have to face him again, and that was bringing out a side of him none of them liked to see. Especially Frisk, who looked away uneasily the whole time Sans was speaking. They had once described to her just what that ability of Sans' felt like, and said it was a severe burning that saps your HP more and more even long after an initial attack had landed. The more horrific and numerous your sins, the more intensely you burned.

She wondered if that unease she felt upon seeing such anger in his eyes was the way her family felt when she once expressed a similar, if lesser rage towards Asgore. It reminded her of something else too... of a different time she'd seen a monster she loved lose themselves to hatred. Though the situations were hardly comparable... it still felt as though it had opened up a pit in her stomach. Nevertheless, she didn't think it right to tell him how to feel in this moment, how he should process his emotions towards this, especially with how sudden it was. His anger, no matter how intense, was justified.

She herself could hardly wrap her head around the implications of the possibilities that now laid before them. There was still perhaps a chance that this wasn't as bad as it seemed to be… but it was a minuscule one compared to the alternative.

The idea that Wingdings could be becoming stronger, more whole again, and may wish to seek some sort of revenge against them… it would terrify anyone. Especially with the added caveat that the former royal scientist seemingly had qualities of a ghost or ghoul in his shattered state, and could be observing them unseen from any darkened corner at that very moment.

But she couldn't let herself become consumed by those thoughts. Something she was reminded of as she felt a faint stirring of magic from the child within her. She and her family had all weathered far worse in the past, they could face this potential threat with a level head and sound reasoning. She would just need to focus and be the one to bring that back to the table.

"In any case, there is little we can do about it presently. We will simply have to wait and see if anything comes of this, and perhaps talk to the others to see if they have experienced anything similar." She said after a moment of reflection. "For the meantime, stay alert and be sure to tell us right away if you notice anything strange or have any more unusual dreams. Especially involving… him."

The plan, simple as it was, did seem to help everyone relax by degrees. Everyone nodded in return, even Flowey. The quiet rage in Sans' eyelights faded away as well, though Toriel knew it still lingered beneath the surface, simply waiting for another reason to emerge again. She at least had hope that things wouldn't be as bad as that first time he'd told her about his father. Though things certainly would be different… if Gaster truly entered the picture again.

She nervously looked around once more, unable to stop herself. Then her gaze traveled back at the others, who were instinctively looking to her for guidance. The question of what to do now was bright in their eyes, and she quickly racked her brain to find some solution she could offer.

"Perhaps… we could all sleep together out here in the living room. Just for tonight at least." She suggested.

She was glad to see a wave of relief wash over everyone present, all of them appearing happy or at least content with the idea in Flowey's case. It wouldn't banish their fears completely, but this way if anything _did_ happen, they'd all be there to address it together right away. Plus the general comfort of having everyone close by during frightening times like these would be worth it. Toriel was sure she wouldn't possibly be able to sleep or relax at all otherwise.

"OH BOY! A SLEEPOVER!" Papyrus piped up suddenly, sockets sparkling. "FANTASTIC IDEA TORIEL! I SHALL CREATE US A MAGNIFICENT PILLOW FORT TO SLEEP IN!"

To the untrained eye, it would seem Papyrus had been able to forget about their current distressing situation. But if one knew him well enough, they could see he was simply running with the excuse to regain his usual optimism, burying his fears for his own sake and for the sake of the children. There was no telling what was going on beneath the surface, but Toriel knew it was surely weighing on him comparably to how it weighed on his brother. The two simply coped with such things differently.

"WITH THE AID OF MY DEAR HUMAN FRIENDS FRISK AND CHARA OF COURSE!" He continued gesturing to the human child proudly.

Frisk managed a weak little smile and nodded to show their agreement. Another subtle flash of red in their eyes showed the spirit that shared their body was on board as well. Flowey just rolled his eyes, his nervousness melting away into his general irritable boredom.

"It doesn't count as a sleepover if we already live together." He pointed out, thankfully leaving out the "idiot" at the end that had once been standard for him.

Still, he didn't protest when Papyrus brought him along to the linen closet around the corner, quickly followed by Frisk. As they worked on gathering materials for their fort, Toriel turned to Sans, maintaining the serious tone of the earlier conversation.

"It might be good for us to sleep in shifts." She said quietly, not wanting the others to overhear. "Just to keep an eye on things tonight…"

Sans hummed thoughtfully for a moment, looking conflicted. After his eyelights came to rest on her middle though, he shook his head.

"tori, you need to be getting good sleep now more than ever." He whispered, reaching a hand over to gently touch her stomach. "you've gotta think of the little guy too."

Toriel was caught between being appreciative for his care and being a little annoyed that he assumed she didn't know that. Surely he was aware that most monsters going through pregnancy struggled to get a good night's rest in general.

"You are not exactly the picture of a well rested monster yourself." She pointed out, before she let it go with a quiet sigh. "But I understand your point. Still, I will take at least one shift for a couple of hours to give you a break at some point in the night, alright?"

He seemed content with that, agreeing with a quick nod.

"deal."

With the plan set, the two then did their best to relax and watch as Papyrus and the children began constructing the pillow fort. They were occasionally asked to help hold up a blanket or two or to relinquish the couch cushions they were sitting on. But both she and Sans kept their attention on their surroundings, trying not to grow alarmed at any oddly moving shadow or eerie creak the house made. It was something of a struggle not to grow too paranoid, but Toriel did her best to keep her wits about her.

Eventually the pillow fort was completed, an endearingly constructed set of plush pillow walls, and a thickly padded blanket floor and designated sleeping areas for all of them. Inside an electric lantern had been placed, eliminating the need for the fireplace. The steadier shadows it offered were a relief to all of them. The space within the fort was a bit cramped, but cozy nonetheless. Toriel had to admit, silly as it was, there was something about being inside it that made her feel safer.

All there was left to do then was to go off in groups to get ready for bed, put the boxes of sorted baby supplies in the spare room, take her medication, and return to their little refuge for the night. She laid down inside on the space left for her, the largest by design. Even then though, her children were pressed close to her, and she knew by the time she woke again they may be cuddled up to her entirely. She didn't mind that at all, but it would certainly make leaving the fort harder when it was her turn to keep watch.

Still, she laid there and allowed her children to get settled near her, gently enveloping them in her arms once they had. Holding them all was so nice that she almost believed she could sleep easily tonight. Almost. Sans was last to make his way into the fort, settling with his back against hers as they shared a large pillow. He was right to assume that spooning would not be something she would consider appropriate with the children present, though it was impossible to predict what position his subconscious mind would lead him to end up once he did fall asleep. That is, _if_ he was intending to fall asleep tonight.

Inevitably, the both of them were still awake even when everyone had drifted off around them. Even Papyrus, who hardly slept for more than short spurts at a time, was snoring away before long. Whether he'd stay that way was anyone's guess. But for once, it was the elder brother who was awake and full of anxious energy while the younger was fast asleep. Toriel could feel as much where the curve of Sans' spine touched her back, his stirred up magic lightly rippling against her like a barely perceivable current.

Eventually, as he had indicated he would before, he shifted away ever so slightly and eased himself into a sitting position. It was a marvel to her that he could move so quietly, only the slightest rattle of bones moving against one another marking his exit.

She cracked an eye open, watching as Sans all but silently left the fort, taking a single pillow with him. He then got settled in on the bare couch for the long night ahead, eyelights cutting through the darkness as they began their intense scanning of the room that would continue for the next few hours.

Toriel then forced herself to close her eyes again, doing all she could to just focus on the gentle pulses of magic from the souls of her children around her. There was little more soothing to her than those undeniable signs of life, including that of the child still yet to be born. It was their faint, distant pulse that pushed Toriel over the edge and pulled her into sleep.

She hoped against hope that her dreams would be peaceful.

Hours later, long after night had claimed the outside world, a faint sensation roused Toriel from sleep. She didn't even notice it at first, not until it grew a bit more pronounced. But finally it was enough to pull her from her slumber. She blinked heavy eyes as the sensation continued, now recognizing it as a prodding against her side.

A bit more investigation revealed it had been one of Sans' attacks. A small bone attack with especially rounded edges. It prodded her a few more times before she pushed it away, giving a flat look in the vague direction of its owner. Even though her vision hadn't cleared enough for her to see him, he could clearly see her expression, and the bone attack dematerialized as Sans gave the softest of chuckles.

She yawned, displaying her large fangs as her mind caught up with everything that had led to this moment. Right, it was her turn to keep watch. Keep watch for…

The ghoulish image of Gaster from the previous night once again came to mind, and her protective instincts drove her to wake up faster in response. Her children were still pressed close to her, and she made a careful effort to separate from them. Thankfully, Frisk didn't stir, and Flowey remained curled up in his pot, unmoving apart from a small twitch of his petals. A glance over at Papyrus revealed even he was still asleep. Or at least appeared to be. It was a rarity for him to be asleep for so long, but one she was grateful for. She watched them all for another long moment to make sure everything was well before she slowly crawled out of the fort.

Only then did she see Sans clearly. He was still in the same spot on the couch he'd been at the start of the night. The dark shadows under his sockets spoke to how tired he clearly was, a sight that had thankfully been growing more rare over the past year, but still manifested on occasion. He gave her a weary grin, but she saw no sign of significant stress or fear in the soft glow of his eyelights. That, along with the fact that she hadn't had any further disturbing visions of the former royal scientist that she could recall, made hope flare in her chest.

"Thank you for waking me." She whispered, carefully settling on the cushionless couch beside him. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

He shook his head, relief softening the edges of his smile.

"nope. all's been quiet. cept' for your _son_ flower over there mumbling in his sleep once or twice."

He motioned to the flower monster in question with a small motion of his head, and Toriel directed her gaze back to where she'd been sleeping. Frisk had pulled his pot closer in the wake of their mother's warmth leaving them both, but the two remained still.

"I see, I will be sure to keep an eye on him then." She said, unable to keep from smiling.

Thank goodness. Perhaps they were all truly only being paranoid after all. Not that she could blame any of them for that. Still, the night wasn't over, so she couldn't let her guard down entirely yet.

She did her first scan of the darkness around them. But as Sans had indicated, there was nothing to see. Just the same furniture and decor that had become the usual sights of home for all of them. And out the windows, the familiar stars, trees, and distant lights of Newer Home. Her keen hearing and other senses didn't pick up on anything suspicious either. By all accounts, it seemed to be an entirely ordinary night.

"what about you?" San's soft voice came from beside her. "any more… relevant dreams?"

His earlier nerves crept back into his voice with those words. Toriel was happy she could dispel them.

"No, none that I can recall." She assured him, crossing her paws in her lap. "Any that I did have felt... surprisingly uneventful. Pleasant even."

He let out a soft sigh of relief, his smile loosening up once more. He leaned against her for a moment, closing his sockets, and she smiled warmly down at him. It was then though, that a thought occurred to her.

"I am surprised GB is not out." She whispered, giving his hand a little stroke. "Would he not be helpful in keeping watch?"

Sans' expression fell a bit at that, and he partly opened his sockets again.

"he would… but he's not great at keeping quiet." He explained after a moment, giving his shoulders a little shrug. "and he'd want to fly in there and play with everyone, no matter what time it is."

He'd attempted a lighter tone at the end, but it quickly dulled once more. There was a long moment of hesitation on his part, then he sighed.

"plus uh… he's still really scared of ol' g." He said in a quieter tone, eyelights scanning the room again before he continued. "i don't want to put him through any pointless stress, y'know?"

She nodded sadly, recalling when he'd alluded to that during that first talk they shared regarding his past. The poor blaster had reacted quite poorly to that first mention of Sans' father. But she couldn't help but feel Sans wasn't just alluding to GB's fears at the moment.

"I see…" She said softly, reaching over a paw to gently lay over his hand.

Though he turned his hand a bit to reciprocate the gesture, he didn't meet her eyes. He didn't make the expected move to go get settled inside the fort now that his shift was over either. Toriel gave his hand a small squeeze, sensing his magic was growing a little cold.

"I know you must be scared to sleep, my dear. but I will be right here the whole time. If I sense you are becoming distressed, I will rouse you and be there to help. Just like always."

He looked a little embarrassed that she had been able to read him so well, but not at all surprised. And in the end, there was more gratitude in the lights of his eyes than anything else. He took a soft, steadying breath and managed a small smile.

"alright, thanks t." He said after a moment, squeezing her hand back before carefully sliding off the couch. "feel free to wake me up if anything weird happens with pap and the kids too."

A smile returned to her own face and she nodded, watching him slowly make his way back to his sleeping spot within the fort.

"Very well. I wish you peaceful dreams, love." She whispered after him.

She saw the corners of his smile perk up at that, before he pulled one of the many throw blankets over himself and curled up. It wasn't long before his soft snores could be heard, a familiar sound that helped to keep Toriel calm as she prepared herself for the hours ahead.

There was no escaping the creeping sense of dread and fear that came with the task of keeping watch though. She'd jolt a bit at every sound, every creak of the house settling or soft rustle of wind through the trees outside. That is, until she dug into some of her old royal composure and managed to commit to the task without flinching. Once she focused on her protectiveness for her children and loved ones, it was far easier. It helped that carrying a child naturally enhanced those instincts, or surely seemed to in her case.

It was still an arduous endeavor though. She felt every minute creep by and wrestled internally over whether or not certain sounds or sights were worth investigating. Eventually it all blurred into a haze. Her eyes were hurting from the strain and it felt like the sun was never going to come up at all. She couldn't be sure how many hours had passed before a new sound caught her attention from the fort in front of her.

It was soft, but with all her senses at full alert it had grabbed her notice right away. It was like a muffled, strained breathing, punctuated by what sounded like attempts at words. It didn't take long to locate the source. Her first instinct was that it Sans dealing with some disturbance to his sleep, be it typical nightmare or the ghoulish monster they all feared may be haunting them. But no, it wasn't Sans making the sound. A short distance away, Flowey's curled form was twitching and shivering slightly, and all the while indecipherable mumbles escaped him. She reasoned that this must have been what Sans was talking about when he mentioned Flowey earlier.

Driven by maternal instinct, she knelt down by the base of the fort. As carefully as she could, she reached out and picked up his pot, wanting to avoid waking him and Frisk. She managed to free his pot from her child's tight hold without too much effort. She felt bad leaving Frisk alone like that though, and knew that losing their grip on Flowey could cause them to begin to stir. She gently pushed their small form so that they were closer to Sans, and thankfully, they snuggled in against him rather quickly. All without waking it seemed.

It was only once she shifted back out of the fort that she realized her son was already awake. He was looking at her blearily, blinking those soft green eyes. She could tell just from the irritated look on his face that this hadn't been the first time he'd had his sleep disturbed that night. She cradled his pot close as she sat down on the couch, then rested it in her lap so she could get a better look at him.

"Flowey dear, I am truly sorry if I woke you," She whispered to him sadly, watching as he shook himself more into awareness. "But what is the matter? You were looking unsettled in your sleep, and mumbling something."

She paused, the inevitable question burning on the tip of her tongue. It had to be asked, but she still hesitated before speaking it.

"Did… did you have another dream about…?"

Before she could finish the sentence, Flowey was already shaking his head, now noticeably trembling.

"N-no… no… not about him…" He rasped, voice still rough from sleep.

Toriel found a bit of relief in that, but it was short lived. She looked at him with imploring eyes, silently urging him to say more. He glanced around nervously for a moment, then heaved a sigh. She noticed again then that he was scratching at his newly shaped leaves, but didn't call attention to it in the moment, not wanting to distract from the topic at hand.

"It was just…" Flowey began, before grumbling under his breath and starting over. "I dreamed I was… you know... my old self again."

She blinked, not surprised exactly but noting how unusual it was for Flowey to willingly want to talk about being Asriel. He usually avoided all mention of it and especially any comparisons if he could. She opened her mouth to respond, but Flowey plowed ahead without pause, the words tumbling out rapidly like tiny stones caught up in a waterfall.

"And I was with you and Dad and Chara at the castle. Underground. We were… just having a normal day. Walking together in the royal gardens and laughing. Like we used to a long time ago. B-but then… then I started to feel weird…"

He glanced up at her for a moment, looking conflicted then decided to continue. His trembling increased though, as did the scratching at his leaves.

"Leaves... started growing out of my skin, I was coughing up petals... and my spiny vine attacks were... bursting out of my body. And it… _hurt._ Like actually hurt. I still feel like… kinda sore from it even now."

Toriel couldn't help but wince at the morbid details, feeling intense sympathy claw at her soul. She could hardly stand to imagine such things, and it all made her magic churn sickly within her.

"Oh sweetheart…" She crooned, reaching forward to lay her paws around him, as if that could somehow shield him from what he'd just suffered.

Flowey looked vaguely annoyed at the gesture, but didn't argue it. Instead he simply stared down at the dirt in his pot with a dull expression.

"Sorry… I know that's graphic." He said after a moment. "But I figured you'd badger me until I was honest."

She swallowed hard, acknowledging his statement with a small nod but unsure what to say in response. She used a thumb to gently stroke his soft golden petals, humming thoughtfully. After another careful scan of the room, she eventually worked out a reply.

"Do you have these sorts of dreams often?"

There were times he seemed to have nightmares, but not often enough or severe enough that it worried her. Even if she was mistaken, and were to ask back then, she would have surely only received a vicious lashing from his vines and all sorts of venomous words from his mouth. Sure enough, he shook his head, his petals drooping a bit more as he did so.

"Not really… usually I don't really dream at all. And even if I do… I don't… I don't usually _feel_ so affected by it."

At that, he visibly tensed and let out a low hiss, curling in on himself a bit like an injured snake. Toriel immediately felt her healing magic rushing down to her paws.

"What is wrong?" She asked quickly, a little louder than she meant to.

Flowey quickly tried to play it off, scratching at his leaves again and attempting to straighten up on his stem.

"My leaves are still itchy is all…" He said before pausing, noticing the look she gave him, and then continuing in a quieter voice. "And I… don't really feel good."

The words were dripping with hesitance, as though by speaking them he was invoking something terrible. Toriel once again gave a quick glance around the room before replying. She couldn't ignore the notion that Gaster, if he truly was haunting them somehow, could take the opportunity of her distraction to make some sort of move. But all remained still and quiet, so she kept her attention on Flowey.

"Where does it hurt?" She asked, regaining her hushed tone as she scanned him for some sign of injury or illness.

The only possible source she could make out where the light scratch marks on his leaves, no doubt left from all his itching. But as she cradled a leaf on a finger to examine it, Flowey pulled it away, shaking his head.

"No… it's not... not like i'm really physically hurt." He grumbled, rubbing the leaf uncomfortably. "Yeah, i'm kind of sore but it's… more like… inside."

Again, he seemed to freeze up a bit, and his shivering returned in earnest. He curled his leaves close to himself, and his eyes once again darted around the dark room, just as she had been doing all this time.

"Mom… I… I'm scared." He croaked out, shame for the admission just as evident in his tone as the fear was.

Toriel's soul seized up at that, and she held her son close to her once again. Flowey never admitted such things readily. He too had been making improvements over the past year, but openly speaking out about his emotions, things that he still didn't believe himself to even have, was still very rare. This wasn't exactly the most convenient of times for him to be finally addressing this, with a potential threat breathing possibly breathing down their necks, but she would take it in a heartbeat.

"I know, little one." She soothed softly, stroking the thin layer of fur on his head. "This has been such a terribly troubling night..."

Again though, she was met with him shaking his head. It seemed she was a bit too vague with that.

"No, not about Gaster." He clarified, an edge of scorn and dismissal entering his voice. "I know all about that pile of sludge's stupid tricks. Even if he's stronger now, he's no match for all of us."

He made a vain attempt to wriggle free of her embrace then, and she loosened her grip in turn, settling him back down in her lap. It didn't seem the act was one of annoyance though, as he promptly held out a leaf for her to see.

"No… i'm scared about this." He explained, shaking the appendage front of her. "I think I changed even more… and that's why i'm dreaming about all this weird stuff."

Toriel blinked and squinted at the little leaf, not quite able to make out anything noticeably different in the darkness. She summoned a tiny flame in her paw and held it close as to examine Flowey better. Now with some illumination, she could see that the leaf's tiny digits had lengthened and become a touch more defined, and were now tipped with red at the ends. The faint indication of paw pads had also become more noticeable, with the area having grown darker and becoming slightly raised. Not only that, but his leaves were now covered in tiny bumps. She'd seen enough of his vine attacks to realize they would likely be turning into thorns if this pattern of change continued. That certainly explained why the poor dear was so itchy.

Seeing all that inspired her to inspect him more thoroughly, and she noted that his petals had moved ever so slightly downward on his stem, while his head was a bit more defined and fuzzy than before. The stem that supported him had thickened by degrees as well, just enough to be noticed.

Once again, she was caught between being excited by the possibility these continual changes represented and the worry about how it was affecting him. He had just admitted that he was scared because of it. Still, she felt it best to try and be positive, as to not feed into that fear any further.

"I see…" She murmured as she relinquished his leaf to him and let her flame dissipate. "I can understand why it would worry you. But, so long as we monitor it and it is not causing you too much pain... should we not view it as at least somewhat of a good sign? It could indicate that you are gaining…"

She didn't finish the sentence, trailing off when she saw the flash of pain and confliction in her son's eyes. Those same beautiful eyes he'd had well over a century ago as a little boss monster. But they were now filled with a despair and torment that she hadn't seen in them since the day his and Chara's combined form crumbled to dust in her arms. Guilt and worry quickly squeezed at her soul, and she knew she couldn't avoid the question any longer.

"Do you… _want_ to look like a boss monster again?" She asked after a long moment. "I know we cannot say for sure if that is what the outcome could be… but the signs are difficult to ignore."

Flowey didn't reply right away, a million different strained emotions seeming to pass through his eyes. Finally he squeezed them shut and his lips pulled back into a snarl that displayed his tiny fangs. The tension building up within him rose to a critical level in mere seconds, then it all burst.

"I don't _know,_ okay?!"

He nearly shouted the words, before he cursed under his breath and devolved it into more of an enraged hiss. When the symphony of snores from within the fort continued undisturbed, he continued.

"I don't think i'm… ready for that... Or that I deserve it even. I shouldn't be starting to look like… _him_ again when I'm still so messed up inside. I don't _feel_ like him!"

Frustration and sorrow burned in his eyes, and he dug his tiny pseudo claws into the rim of his pot so tightly Toriel feared it would shatter. She did her best to weather the terrible ache in her own soul, knowing that she needed to be strong for her son right now. If she lost herself in the despair that rolled off of him like bitter waves, she knew it could very well swallow him up. This wasn't the first time they'd had something along the lines of this conversation, and she knew it was unlikely to be the last. But she would be steadfast and there to see him through every time. She had to.

So instead of showing any helplessness regarding his situation, she remained as calm as she could, and relied on her gut feelings to form her response.

"My child, do you remember if anything happened before you first noticed these changes?" She asked softly, turning her paw to cradle his cheek.

Flowey blinked at that, clearly taken off guard. His expression once again twisted up in indecision, and even some embarrassment, but he did force out the answer before long.

"Frisk… called me their brother." He said, each word sounding as though it caused him physical pain. "It was right before bed the day before I changed. And it was… weird. They've called me stuff like that before, but this time it was just different, somehow. I dunno... I... I _felt_ something when they said that. I don't know what it was, but I felt it strongly. Something like… shifted inside me, and when I woke up the next day, my leaves were all paw-like and I was stuck with this face. _His_ face."

Toriel hummed softly in acknowledgment, already putting the pieces together in her mind. She was no scientist… but it wasn't too difficult to guess what must be happening. Her soul was still cautious at fully accepting it, but there was no denying all the signifiers. Flowey though, was still caught up in what little denial he could still cling to. Like the last little leaf clinging to a barren tree in a winter's gale.

"But that doesn't explain why its happening again now!" He hissed up at her, before glaring down at his transformed pseudo paws. "Today was stupid and stressful and boring. I didn't feel anything like before. Why would any of that spark this again?!"

He covered his face and let out a variety of muffled, frustrated sounds against his leaves. Toriel gently stroked him with her thumb once more, giving him a moment to calm down a little before she replied.

"Perhaps it is not happening in spurts then, my child." She reasoned quietly, hoping her instinctual conclusion on the matter wasn't too far off. "Perhaps… whatever happened between you and Frisk then was something of a catalyst, and the changes are simply happening steadily since then."

Flowey grew quiet at that, dragging his leaves down his face before letting them fall. His still ever youthful eyes drifted back up at her, with a look that carried an exhaustion that was far too old. His more fiery reaction to all this had leveled off it seemed, leaving him cold and lifeless in its wake. When he spoke again, his voice was low and raspy with emotions he still wouldn't accept were his own.

"I don't think what Frisk said started it, not totally anyway." He said, turning to look at the sleeping human child within the fort. "Remember what Frisk said back when you were in the hospital? About how I seemed changed ever since they… SAVE'd me?"

Toriel nodded, even though he wasn't facing her. Her memories of that day were still somewhat foggy, as one would expect when someone finally wakes from what was essentially a coma. But she could remember that conversation well. It was the first time she'd held them, knowing that they were the children she'd lost over a century ago.

"I've been denying it all this time." Flowey continued, the admittance clearly a struggle for him. "I still really want to… it _shouldn't_ be true... but… I guess they might be right. Even after I lost everyone's souls… I never felt truly empty again... not like I had before. I thought it was just like, residual emotions left behind from it all, but..."

He trailed off, and the words became lost to the near silence of the room. She could only hear the soft snoring of her family members within the fort, and Flowey's own strained breathing.

"But that is not what it is, is it?" She asked, after a long moment. Though her tone made it seem far less like a question than an observation.

More silence met her words, the air thickening with tension between them. She could practically see the internal tug of war he was going through between his flight or fight response. Along with the third, far more difficult option, but the one she most hoped he would choose. Eventually, Flowey seemed to all but wilt under all the pressure and shook his head as it hung low.

"No…" He admitted, and Toriel saw a few tears fall into the soil of his pot. "It isn't."

She lightly touched the back of his stem again, and he didn't flinch away. She could feel him trembling, grappling with the weight of what he had just acknowledged openly for the first time. Usually these conversations ended long before this, often in shouting and anger, and then long periods of shutting down entirely. But now they were plunging into uncharted territory, and it was a daunting task for the both of them.

Toriel knew she needed to be careful but firm as she pushed ahead. He could still turn on her and the whole idea of discussing this without warning, after all. But she wouldn't back down from outright stating the answer he'd been running from all this time.

"What you are feeling now… and have been feeling since then... may very well be a soul of your own." She said, managing a small, hopeful smile. "Or at least the start of one, a new one. Alphys suggested as much the one time you allowed her to examine you some time ago, did she not?"

No matter how gently she said the words, she couldn't soften the blow they'd inflict on him. He flinched from her, gritting his bared teeth and keeping his gaze away for few burning seconds. Then he whirled around, and his eyes were tearful and pleading. So far removed from the malice and hate that used to consistently define them.

"No... no… _don't say that_." He all but begged, voice cracking as he shivered anew. "Because… because what if you're wrong?! It just… it can't be that easy!"

His voice rose with those last few words, and more tears spilled from his eyes even as he squeezed them shut and covered his face.

"I tried to feel love for so long… I tried everything!" He said in a tone akin to a snarl, some flicker of his earlier frustration briefly igniting again. "Every possible way to elicit something, _anything_ inside me. No one could fix me, not even you! So how could Frisk do it?!"

He bore his tearful gaze into her once more, demanding an answer but at the same time clearly terrified of what that answer would be. Toriel maintained eye contact, having to reach within once more to find the strength to not simply weep for her poor, tormented son. In truth, she didn't have the answers. They both knew that. She was no scientist or scholar. Her long lived wisdom was far more focused in other areas. But she still had to offer some sort of answer, if only for his sake. Thankfully, Toriel did have one. Based on nothing but what her soul felt must be the case, granted, but still an answer. And one she felt strongly about.

"Frisk is an extraordinary child, and I am quite sure that this would not have happened without them." She said, looking towards her human child's sleeping form and then back to Flowey. "But if I am to be truthful… I feel that all of us had a small part to play in what happened that day."

He blinked at that, some of the pain in his expression fading into curiosity. He didn't promptly fire back a venomous retort to her words, so she continued.

"I remember little about when you had mine and everyone else's soul, my child. But I do remember feeling that great love that all of us felt for Frisk, once they had pulled us back to ourselves. I remember the sensation of… that love joining with all the others to reach something… someone. And that was you, was it not?"

He said nothing, and she could practically see his mind being forced to connect the dots of what she was saying. He began to tremble again, as his mind warred against itself trying to decide what emotion to feel, if any at all. Before he could shut down again though, or explode into another wave of defensive anger, she cupped his small form in her paw, encouraging him to look at her again.

"Listen sweetheart…" She implored softly, pouring maternal warmth into her voice. "No matter what the final outcome of this is… you will always be loved. Whatever your appearance, soul or no soul. You are my son, and nothing will ever change that. You are the only one who can decide who it is you will become. And it is okay if you don't know who that is yet either. We will all be here to see you through this no matter what, and help you where you need it. I promise."

In the wake of her words, a few beats slowly passed. One where he could have bitterly denounced all she'd said as placating lies. But he didn't. Another where he could vehemently turned on her, declaring he didn't deserve nor desire her pity as he had so many other times. But he didn't. Another where he could have doubled down on the notion that none of these changes proved anything, and that it was all going to end up yet another bitter disappointment in the end to add to his countless other attempts at change. But he didn't.

There was the final beat where he could have fled from her as some wordless form of rejection at the very least. But he didn't.

Because for all his desperate denial, lashing out, and terribly confused remerging emotions… this is what he had wanted from her. This is what he needed to hear. He just didn't know how to ask for it, or was still too confused and lost to bring himself to. Thankfully, she now had more experience than ever when it came to recognizing when she was needed, and perhaps more importantly, what was needed from her.

So Flowey, left with none of his usual avenues of escape or retaliation, simply crumpled. The tears began anew, falling like a bitter rain and leaving dark spots in the soil of his pot.

"It h-hurts…" He croaked out brokenly as he curled his leaves around the center of his stem, in a voice that was shifting between Flowey and Asriel's. "Inside me… it h-hurts. I don't u-understand… Why does it… _hurt?_ "

It was a question that tore at her, and her own eyes began to sting. But she kept her composure, swallowing against the lump in her throat. Right now, while Flowey's walls were down and he was open to listening, she needed to do all she could to help him.

"I know sweetheart… Emotions do hurt sometimes. Especially over things like... guilt." She reminded him softly, a bit of her teaching tone entering her voice. "It is the soul's way of expressing pain, letting us know that we need help. Just like when our physical wounds ache. It is all to remind us to seek the care we need to feel better. Or to do what must be done to right a wrong. And just like with any serious injury or illness, ignoring it only makes it grow worse over time. I saw the signs of such long festering pain in Sans before, and I see them in you as well, my child. You have suffered so very much... and inflicted so much pain on others. But you were numb to all that until recently, were you not?"

She stroked his soft petals with her thumb as he choked back a sob, just as she used to do with his velvety ears when he was a little boss monster. All the while, she could feel the faint, but present magic of his emotions radiating off of him like a singeing heat. Confused, erratic and intense. But all evidence of the fragment of a soul she knew he must possess.

"I imagine such pain would be even worse in your case, having gone so long without the ability to properly feel emotion." She reasoned, managing to get him to direct his tearful gaze up towards her again. "I am afraid my healing magic is not much use for that sort of hurt, but I do know a few remedies we can try, if you will let me?"

With that, she silently offered to lift him out of the pot. He understood that, along the deeper meaning behind her words. Sure enough, though she could all but see it all but shatter his pride, he gave in. He pulled up his roots, which she noticed were starting to clump together in two distinct clusters, and allowed her to scoop him up. The roots hooked on to her instinctually, intertwining with her fingers and curling about her wrist. Once he was secure, she held his tiny form close, cradling him as if a stray breeze could whisk him away without warning.

Once in her protective grasp and with his face all but buried in the fur of her shoulder, a wave of fresh sobs escaped him, far harsher than before. They weren't loud enough that they should disturb the others, but that didn't lessen the painful impact of each one that Toriel felt as well as heard.

"There there now…" She soothed, something she'd wanted to do properly for her son for so long... "It is okay, little one. My dear, brave, sweetheart. You are going to be okay."

The words were not healing magic, and could only at best dull the terrible pain he was in, but just like times past, she knew they were necessary. She'd spoken these words to him before, just as she had held him as he cried before. Both as a flower monster and as a little boss monster cub. The difference now, was that Flowey was truly seeking her comfort rather than fiercely fighting off her attempts and cursing her all the while. And he seemed to finally recognize that everything he was feeling was indeed real.

In truth, her son had always been something of a crier. He had gotten that from his father, no doubt. It had never taken much at all, good or bad, to get either of them in tears. She'd spent countless hours when her son was growing up drying his eyes and holding him close whenever his emotions would boil up and spill over. For things as small as a stubbed toe to things as major as him accidentally poisoning his father. Though the sobs that escaped him now held far more pain, guilt, and every other agonized emotion that his younger self had never known to this extreme, the fact he wept like this at all only assured Toriel further that there was more remaining of the young prince who died all those years ago than Flowey would admit.

He quieted down after a little while, sniffling and grumbling miserably to himself. Toriel waited until his breathing had calmed and he had gone quiet before she spoke again. When she did, she kept her tone soft and cautious, not wanting to provoke his fiery temper into returning to cover his shame.

"How are you feeling now, my child?" She asked, running a curved finger over the back of his stem.

He flinched at her words more so than at her touch, and she suspected he would have done that regardless of her tone. Stiffness consumed him for another long moment, then he released the remaining tension with a shaky sigh. He pushed back from her and looked up to meet her gaze, revealing his puffy red-rimmed eyes. Seeing him look so exhausted, vulnerable, and tiny in her paws… it was so easy to forget what horrors her son was once capable of.

She swept away a lingering tear from his cheek with her thumb. He surprisingly allowed the action, though he narrowed his eyes up at her all the same. Those eyes were still dull, and there was certainly still the pain he'd expressed there, but something small had eased inside him at least. It was enough that he seemed to have regained his composure, at a more healthy level, but he was clearly overcome by a great amount of confusion in the wake of his little breakdown.

"I dunno… maybe a little better… I guess." He conceded quietly, voice still thick from crying. "But not really..."

Toriel offered him a small, sad smile at that, leaning in to lightly nuzzle him and press a little kiss to his forehead.

"Give it time, sweetheart." She encouraged him, managing to keep his direct attention. "These things always take time. And please, do try and talk to me more, my child. About whatever it is you are feeling. Just because I am spending a lot of time thinking about and planning for the baby does not mean it takes priority over what is happening with you. I love you, my child, and I will do whatever I can to help you through this."

In the silence following her words, he looked up at her wearily. And to her, the haziness of his gaze suggested he was briefly caught up in memories that her words had sparked. Whether they were negative or positive though, she couldn't tell for sure.

"I know..." He conceded quietly after a moment, and his tone was strained between so many different emotions.

Flowey clearly didn't want to linger on the subject anymore, and Toriel recognized he'd been through more than enough for one night. So she simply held him close again. Then after a moment, she offered up a soft purring sound in an attempt to soothe him. She hadn't done so in that way since he was very small, and she wondered if he even would remember the sound. Part of her expectant a colorful choice of words expressing his confusion, but If he found it weird or new, he didn't say anything. He just leaned against her silence, allowing her to try and comfort him. The keyword was still _try_ at this point, but she now had more confidence the progress had been made, and things would get better going forward.

Whilst she did that, she took another anxious look around, hoping the soft rumble escaping her would mask her small spike of anxiety. She hadn't checked thoroughly for anything unusual in a while. She'd stolen glances when she'd remembered to, but had something escaped her notice while she was distracted by Flowey?

Once again though, even her somewhat paranoid gaze could not find anything out of the ordinary to be seen. The others were all still sleeping soundly, and everything seemed still and as it should be. She allowed herself to relax by degrees and continue comforting her son, but kept up her vigilance once more.

From his continued silence and general stillness, Toriel had begun to assume Flowey had fallen asleep. So it surprised her a bit when he suddenly spoke, making her long ears perk up a bit.

"Can… can the baby, like… hear us?" He asked, only just loud enough to for her own ears to pick up on.

The question was not one she expected to hear from him, especially with his clearly expressed distaste for his future sibling. She tilted her head down at him with an curious expression, but was sure to promptly reply.

"Well… I am not sure they are really developed enough for that." She admitted, moving her free paw to rest on her stomach. "But I do believe they can sense our magic. I tend to feel their magic more strongly when they react to the presence of others. But even then, it is still faint at this point. They have been reacting to you as well."

He pulled back from her a bit at that, looking taken off guard. He eyed her stomach warily for a moment before narrowing his eyes. The expression was less effective than usual, due to the fact that his eyes were still slightly puffy from crying.

"How so?" He asked, looking down and away from her. "By calling me a… crybaby?"

The last part's tone was clearly sarcastic, but Toriel still saw the need to counter it even so.

"No sweetie." She said warmly, gaining his attention again by lightly brushing his fuzzy cheek with a curled finger. "I could only be imagining it, but I think they can sense that you are upset, and could even be wanting to try and comfort you."

Flowey blinked, then regarded her stomach area with even more confusion. He tilted his head back and forth on his stem, as though viewing it at a different angle would suddenly allow him to perceive the baby growing within her. When that inevitably failed, he sighed quietly and settled against her again, frowning down at her stomach still.

"Well… tell them to mind their own business, then." He finally said, closing his eyes. "I… I'll be... fine."

Toriel just smiled softly down at him and began to lightly stroke the back of his stem again with a finger. From even that light touch, she could again sense the kind of magic that only came from a soul. Even one that was likely little more than a fragment in this case. The pulse from it was far, far weaker than normal, and more than a little masked in the haze of his negative emotions, but still there. The little soul of Flowey's future sibling stirred within her stronger still as well, almost as though trying harder to reach Flowey. Even if he could detect the faint magic, he would clearly not be admitting it. Perhaps in time, but not now.

Some time passed in where she put her focus once again into soothing him back to sleep, a more peaceful sleep. A hope she fulfilled in part when she could hear his breathing slow to a steady rhythm, indicating he had indeed drifted off again. She got him settled against her, about ready to definitively turn back to her watchful duties for the rest of the night. But then, her eyes caught sight of a shape moving through the shadows at the edge of the darkened doorway that led to the hallway.

All at once, her fur stood on end, her internal fire magic burned hot inside her, her claws itched to extend, and her lips were about ready to pull back to instinctually expose her long fangs. But all her panic and aggressive protectiveness rapidly faded away when she saw that the shape wasn't the dark and fragmented former royal scientist, but a different familiar face.

The small white dog had appeared as it always did, out of nowhere with little to no explanation. The canine regarded her from the darkness for a few more moments, but once it noticed it had been spotted, it slowly stepped out towards her. It ambled steadily over to the couch with its head low, as if frightened or trying to avoid being seen. What she could see of its face revealed that it wasn't wearing its usual cheerful, even dopey expression. Instead, its expression was oddly stoic and distant.

"Oh! Goodness… it is just you..." Toriel said, releasing her heightened anxiety and adrenaline through a weak sigh. "You picked quite the terrible night to show up out of the blue, little puppy."

It stopped at her feet, looking up at her with that same blankness in its eyes. Toriel felt a pang of pity for the poor thing. Surely it must be scared just as they all were. Dogs were keen on picking up general emotions and were more attuned at detecting danger. If Sans didn't want GB to assist in keeping watch for any signs that something dark was amiss, this dog would be a good second choice.

"Well, I suppose we could use a little extra protection tonight." She said once the dog jumped up onto the couch beside her. "You will bark if you sense anything suspicious, will you not?"

The dog made no sound, nor did its expression change. But after a moment, it did settle down in a laying position beside her, head and ears up at attention. It stared into the fort, at all those sleeping within it. She watched as its intense gaze lingered on each one for a signifiant amount of time, before slowly moving to the next. Its attentiveness was appreciated in this situation, even if it was a little much. Toriel smiled and reached over to give the small animal an appreciative stroke.

"Good dog." She whispered, feeling much better about her current situation than she had before.

Perhaps this all truly had been just some bizarre fluke after all. Or a pathetic attempt at intimidation by the late royal scientist before their collective resolve against him caused him to flee. Hopefully for good. Only time would tell, of course. But for the moment, she was feeling far more at ease.

A short time later she watched the sun begin to rise with a warm smile, holding her son close and stroking the small white dog's head. But while she continued to scan the room thoroughly, the dog just stared intently at where the sun was creeping over the horizon, as though it were seeing the great harbinger of the oncoming day for the first time in a long time.


	12. Unwelcome guest

Early the next morning, the sound of knocking upon the front door broke through the quiet calm of the house, causing Toriel to look up from where she had been preparing breakfast in the kitchen. She had laid out plates, drinks and utensils on the table already, and was setting out the various containers of food when the sound at the door made her pause.

A smile appeared on her face, and she kept her attention on placing a bowl of scrambled eggs down on the table.

"Come in, the door is unlocked." She called out to her guests to be.

They quickly obliged, and soon all hurriedly made their way inside. It was snowing out there again, so they all paused around the doormat in order to shed their extra winter layers before fully entering.

"Good morning to you all." Toriel said warmly, stepping around the table to more properly greet them. "Thank you again for joining us for breakfast today on such short notice."

"Morning' Toriel, thanks a lot for the free grub." Undyne said, partly through a rather impressive yawn.

"G-g-g-good m-morning." Alphys stammered out through still chattering teeth, but while managing a smile.

"Good morning Toriel, thank you again for having us." Asgore said politely, shrugging out of his massive coat. It was so large that it still touched the floor when hung up on the coat rack.

Toriel ignored the water from it that was inevitably going to get onto the tile and kept focused on ushering them all inside. As inconspicuously as possible, she scanned each of their eyes as they made their way over, instinctively looking for any sign of exhaustion lingering there. Exhaustion that could perhaps be from bizarre dreams regarding Gaster… But none of them looked particularly worn out. Sleepy yes, but who wouldn't be when going to an early breakfast at the start of the weekend?

"You are most welcome." She said after only a moment's delay, untying her apron and hanging it up on her chair. "You may go ahead and prepare your plates and take a seat, I am sure the others will be along shortly-"

Before the word even fully left her mouth, Frisk hurried in carrying Flowey's pot in their arms. They hurried over the group and signed an enthusiastic greeting, one they all were happy to return. With affectionate noogies from Undyne and a friendly hug from Alphys. Flowey didn't offer much apart from a halfhearted "Hello", but his grumpy tone didn't damper the cheerful atmosphere at all.

Asgore seemed especially happy to see the children, kneeling down a little closer to their height once they approached them. Though, despite his efforts, he still absolutely towered over them. Out of all of her guests, Asgore had a light to his eyes she hadn't seen in a long time. Perhaps his date with the lady from the tea shop had gone well then, as a text she'd received from him a while ago had indicated. She may have smiled a little at that, but the knowledge of what his coming here meant kept it from happening.

"Howdy, children." Asgore greeted Frisk and Flowey. "I am so excited to have you over for the week. I have lots of plans for fun things we can do."

Flowey crossed his leaves and frowned up at his father, looking incredulous.

"Do any of those plans involve gardening, Dad?" He asked, tilting his head on his stem. "Like every other time we stay with you?"

Asgore's smile turned a bit sheepish, and he tapped his claws together nervously.

"Ah well… maybe a few of them. But I think you'll be more excited about these ones. I recently got some pumpkin seeds and I thought you kids could help me plant them in the new indoor patio garden. It will be a great test to see how fertile I have managed to make the soil in there."

Asgore said more after that, but Toriel tuned him out, doing her best to keep her mind from drifting into its usual stressing and paranoia that arose during these situations. She knew they'd be fine with him. They did this every two weeks now. It was even, and it was fair, she knew that. And she'd get to see them during the week at school. But there was still that small nagging fear in her gut that came any time her children left with him. Eerie whispers of what had happened during those times long past that she'd allowed humans to walk away into his clutches. And she feared that nothing but a lot more time of this routine would truly calm that within her.

She just focused on helping serve food onto the plates of her guests, and tried to sort out her thoughts before the inevitable conversation at the table that was the true reason they were called here.

"Where's Paps and Sans?" Undyne asked casually, plopping a couple of limes onto her plate. "Are they really skipping out on breakfast? That's not like them."

"No, they should be along in a moment. They offered to start picking up the mess left over from the um... fort in the living room. Or well… Papyrus did, and insisted that his brother help. Sans did not complain though." She smiled in mild amusement at that last part as she helped Alphys reach the spoon for the scrambled eggs. "I told them to take a break once you all arrived."

Sure enough, in yet another timely entrance, Sans and Papyrus appeared in the doorway to the living room with a familiar flash of bright blue. Toriel wondered why Sans chose that particular method of getting about when they were only a room over, but she'd learned not to really question little things like that at this point.

The brothers were warmly greeted by their guests as well, though Sans seemed to take particular notice of Undyne's halfhearted, sleepy reply as she heaped food onto her plate..

"aw c'mon undyne." He said with a wink. " _orange_ you glad to see us?"

Undyne paused, holding the fruit in question in her webbed fingers. She then turned towards him, face entirely deadpan, and took a massive bite of the orange. Peel and all. She chewed and swallowed it without flinching, leaving a trail of juice from her mouth.

"EGADS!" Papyrus exclaimed. "YOU REALLY SHOULD USE A NAPKIN UNDYNE."

The taller skeleton then rounded on his brother, jabbing a finger in his face.

"AND YOU!, IT IS MUCH TOO EARLY FOR YOUR TERRIBLE JOKES!"

Sans' grin didn't waver, and he simply shrugged in response.

"k bro, guess i'll take a _break, fast_."

For a moment, Papyrus just stared at him, clearly confused by his odd wording. But then once realization hit, he let out a groan of pure pun-induced anguish behind his gloves. That prompted a round of giggles from everyone else present, if only for Papyrus' dramatic reaction if nothing else.

Despite the oddness of the previous night. It was clear in that moment that all was still as it should be.

...

The family breakfast went off without a hitch. Everyone was quickly pulled into cheerful conversation and lighthearted banter. Toriel mostly stayed quiet, apart from when a laugh was teased out of her, but she did enjoy listening to the others. It calmed her nerves just as much as the food did. Food like this always tasted best when there were others to share it with.

By the time everyone had finished up, there was hardly anything remaining for leftovers. Now with everyone full and in a good mood, the task of bringing up the topic at hand didn't feel as daunting. Though it was Asgore who brought it back to attention.

"Thank you again Toriel, that was lovely as always." He said warmly, before giving her a searching look. "But you mentioned there was another reason you called us here?"

That drew all eyes in her direction, some of them knowing and some of them curious.

"I-is it about the baby?" Alphys asked, looking a little nervous.

"No no, but things have been going fine in that regard as well." Toriel assured her, waving a paw dismissively before laying it back in her lap.

"No… I was wondering if perhaps any of you may have had any weird dreams lately…" She went on, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Regarding… Gaster."

All at once, the atmosphere of the room seemed to grow a little chilly. Just from the expressions on her guest's faces, she already knew her hunch had been correct.

"You guys did too?" Undyne was the first to confirm, her facial fins drooping a bit. "For me it was a few days ago, I thought I was just dreaming about that memory that Alph's machine brought back, about what that bastard did to my eye... but…" She paused, locking her sharp teeth together in a grimace. "When he turned to look at me in the dream, he looked… well… REALLY messed up. All freaky and melted or whatever. I didn't really think much of it… even when Al told me she had been woken up by something similar. Mostly because Asgore had been talking about Gaster the night before. Telling us stories about the war and all."

She looked over at Asgore, who was looking rather taken aback by all he was hearing.

"Did you tell us all that because of a dream you had about him too?" She asked, putting two and two together.

Asgore didn't answer for a moment, blinking his bi-colored eyes as his mind appeared to race.

"I… I suppose I did, now that you mention it." He admitted after a moment, running his claws through his beard in thought. "Though… I'm not sure I remember the context. Just that he was there. And even seemed… happy to see me? It is difficult to recall. It may have been our younger selves in that dream, but i'm not even sure about that."

With that, all eyes returned to Toriel as the inevitable question of why she had asked about this hung over them all. Toriel shared uneasy glances with the rest of her family, see clearly that they were all coming to a similar conclusion. This situation may not be as simple as they previously thought. Nor was it surely over…

Steeling herself, she carefully explained to the others just what had happened the previous night. Sans and Papyrus also chimed in here and there, while the children were given time to explain their own experiences as well. By the end of it, it was clear that everyone now shared the same growing sense of dread that had gripped her household yesterday.

All while the conversation was going on, she only barely noticed the small, white dog watching them all from the entrance to the hallway. She likely wouldn't have given him any thought at all if not for the odd way Alphys kept looking at him. It apparently was enough to cause the dog to retreat back into the hall without a sound. That was odd for him, as he usually threw himself at anyone who entered, yapping and giving out affectionate licks no matter how the recipient reacted. But given that the current topic at hand had her full attention, she didn't give it much thought.

"I see…" Asgore said softly once everything had been shared, leaning his chin on his crossed paws in thought. "Do you fear that… he may have escaped? Or found some other way to contact us?"

Toriel sighed gravely, considering how to answer. She didn't want to fully admit just how clueless they were as to what had happened, or what could happen going forward. They were all instinctively looking to her for some sort of answer, and she wanted it to be one that left some room for reassurance. Especially for the children's sakes.

"We cannot say for sure. All I would advise is to be vigilant, and tell us if you experience anything else." She said, tapping into a bit of her old authoritative voice. "Wingdings would be truly foolish to attempt anything in the state he appeared in, but we cannot be too careful. We know not how having one's mind, soul, and body shattered across time would affect one's mental state, after all."

That last part definitely didn't help lessen the tension in the room, but it felt necessary to point out, even to herself. Everyone had been writing off Gaster's potential as a threat due to his apparent weakened state… but if he was driven far more by raw malice than logic the way he currently was, he could still be dangerous.

But that still felt like a longshot. Gaster had been a scientist after all. A monster driven by logical reasoning. Surely some fragment of that must still be guiding his actions… right?

"Hopefully there is nothing to fear, and this will... blow over before long." She said with an attempt at a reassuring smile.

As expected though, even when many of the others attempted to mirror that smile back, it hardly felt legitimate. And Sans in particular seemed to be lost in thought once more, eyelights unfocused and staring dully at the table.

The conversation more or less faded from there. Other things were briefly brought up in an attempt to establish levity, but couldn't compete with the shadow that now seemed to be looming over them. A shadow that they couldn't be sure was only there in the figurative sense.

There was a sense like the night before that no one really wanted to separate, that somehow their all being there together would ward off any potential danger from manifesting. But despite it being the weekend, they all still had their own lives and personal projects to get home to, as well as plans with the children who would be coming back with them. If Gaster truly was haunting them, hoping to shatter their lives through paranoia where his actual physical abilities would fail him, he would have to try harder than that.

So it was the result of a sort of collective defiance that they all said their goodbyes as usual, clinging to the fluctuating level of normalcy they were all able to maintain throughout. Unfortunately, nothing about the others leaving could offer her any comfort, not even as an act of bravery. No matter how many times she watched her children walk through the door with Asgore, it seemed to tear fresh wounds into the old, still healing sections of her soul.

They'd been doing this before the truth behind Asriel and Chara's fates had been revealed, but it felt different now. The schedule had been figured out and now the time they were apart from her was longer, and it carried with it a new sense of finality. For that first year since arriving on the surface, she alone was Frisk's true parent. That connection she'd had with them had been truly special, as they spent just about everyday together. And though for Flowey the time was far shorter, it still meant a great deal to her. Having them with her so often had really helped her start to leave the lingering effects of her long term loneliness and loss behind. But now… she inevitably had to share them.

It was a selfish sentiment, she knew that. And she knew she wouldn't be feeling those emotions nearly as intensely if it wasn't specifically Asgore that she was sharing custody with. It embarrassed her that those emotions still flared up after so long doing this. But it still hurt, perhaps more now because of the baby's effect on her emotional state, and not to mention the fear and anxiety they all went through the previous night. But this was the way things had to be, and the more proactive she was in becoming used to that, the better. At least she was handling it better now than she had earlier on in the process.

They would be safe with him and the others, they would be cared for. There was nothing to get worked up about.

"Are you sure you're okay with me taking them early today?" Asgore asked, as if reading her mind in the worst way possible.

She looked up into his kindly, concerned eyes and held back the urge to sigh, or show any real hesitation on her face. She knew the children would be watching, and there was no reason to pile on any more reasons for them to worry.

"Yes, it is fine." She said, working up a smile. "Just keep a close eye on Flowey as we discussed on the phone earlier. And call me if anything happens with him, or any of them, alright?"

She got the feeling Asgore could tell she wasn't being fully forward with him in that moment, but he didn't press the issue.

"Of course." He said, politely inclining his head a bit. "Well then, I hope you and the brothers have a good weekend Toriel."

She nodded with a soft affirmative sound, but couldn't help but drop her eyes down to her children. As she expected, they had been listening, and were now walking over to her in order to say goodbye. She swallowed back her nagging worries and leaned down to pull them into a hug. As always, the powerful, familiar aura of Frisk and Chara's shared soul washed over her as she did, and sent a harsh pang through her own soul that nearly made her smile falter. But she held strong for them.

"Farewell, my children." She said, after allowing the hug to go on just a little longer. "Please be good, okay? And have a fun week. I am only a phonecall away if you need anything."

Frisk smiled up at her with a nod before signing an obvious (Love you), and the brief crimson hue that their eyes took on signaled that Chara had some hand in that as well. For a bit of fun, she signed it back. Doing the actual hand signals with her bulky paws sometimes proved challenging, but she'd improved a lot since first beginning to learn.

Flowey held her gaze for a long moment, and there was a lot communicated in those familiar green eyes, echoes of the emotions that had been on full the previous night. But in that moment, he chose not to vocalize any of it, and simply bid her farewell as he usually would.

"Bye Mom… see you later." He said, before looking away again.

Her smile in reply was soft with understanding.

"Goodbye sweetheart." She said back in a quieter voice. "I love you."

Flowey blushed a bit and grumbled to himself, and perhaps _maybe_ within those grumbles was a collection of syllables vaguely resembling "I love you too", but none could say for sure. Regardless, it kept a small smile on her face even as Frisk walked away with Asgore towards the door.

Toriel followed after at a distance, intending to wave to them as they began down the path. The snow had stopped for the moment, but they all still needed to bundle up against the cold before braving it again. She begrudgingly resisted the urge to help Frisk into their coat and scarf, allowing Asgore to do it for them. It helped that she had the task of saying goodbye to Undyne and Alphys to distract her.

But oddly, Alphys didn't join her girlfriend in putting on their winter attire. Instead, Toriel caught her again looking at the hallway where the dog had been earlier. The sheen of light on her glasses hid her eyes enough that Toriel wasn't sure of her true expression. Then, upon realizing Undyne was trying to get her attention, she looked up at the fish monster with a nervous smile.

"A-actually… I think I'll stay for a bit. I'll meet you at the house a little later." She said, tapping her claws together anxiously. "There's something I want to talk to Sans about."

Undyne looked confused, arching a brow at her girlfriend. But if she noticed anything odd about Alphys' behavior, she didn't say. Instead she just flashed one of her usual toothy grins.

"Alright babe, just shoot me a text if you don't wanna walk all the way, I'll be happy to run over here and carry you back! ONE HANDED!"

The fish monster flexed an arm as if to emphasize her point, leaving Alphys quite sweaty and orange in the face.

"W-will do, ehehe." The lizard monster stammered out, waving to Undyne and the others as they left.

When the door closed though, an air of seriousness returned to Alphys and she again looked towards the hallway. Toriel just looked down at her, confused and a bit concerned. She'd said she wanted to stay for a bit to talk to Sans… but about what? Judging from her demeanor, it didn't feel like it would be anything good.

"what's up, al?" Sans asked, looking just as perplexed as he stepped over to her.

That regained her attention, and Toriel noticed the lizard monster actually startled a bit before regaining her usual somewhat nervous smile. She didn't reply right away though, and her gaze flicked between him and Toriel as she seemed to be trying to find the words to vocalize her thoughts.

"Should I-" Toriel began to say, figuring she should leave the two alone for a moment, but Alphys interrupted her.

"N-No, it's okay." The lizard monster said, before clearing her throat and regaining a bit of seriousness again. "T-Toriel… how long have you had that dog?"

Toriel blinked, surprised by the question. She too then glanced over at where the dog had been, but the hallway entry was still empty.

"Oh, well he has been showing up here on and off for a long time. But I would not say he is ours necessarily. He comes and goes as he pleases, though I still have yet to figure out where exactly he is getting in… or out for that matter." She said, with a bit of an exasperated laugh. "I just leave him food and water by the door everyday, just in case."

Sans nodded, and his grin softened up at the mention of the little dog.

"yah, he's a cool little guy." He agreed, slipping his hands into his hoodie pockets. "he hung out around me and pap's place a lot back underground. i'm thinkin' he followed us up here. i'm glad honestly, he's fun to have around. and i woulda worried bout' him otherwise."

The lighthearted reminiscing didn't seem to banish the uneasy look in Alphys' eyes though, and she fiddled with her claws anxiously as she yet again looked towards the hallway. Toriel frowned, not at all sure what to make of her reaction.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, tilting her head a bit.

Again, Alphys didn't answer right away. The lizard monster swallowed hard, and only seemed to grow more unsettled.

"I… I'm not sure." She finally managed after a moment. "B-but I-I think we should check on-"

Suddenly, Papyrus' voice came from the living room, where he had returned to picking up the remains of the pillow fort.

"DARN IT ALL!" He exclaimed, and they heard a rustling of blankets. "WHY MUST YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE MY LIFE MISERABLE WITH YOUR…"

There was a pause, then suddenly Papyrus was rushing into the kitchen. He looked panicked, and was holding the small white dog in his hands. For once, he wasn't looking at the animal with disdain, but worry.

"BROTHER! LADY TORIEL! I… I-I THINK THE LITTLE DOG HAS FALLEN ILL. HE LOOKS TRULY TERRIBLE, AND LOOK WHAT HE HAS DONE TO THE LINENS!"

He held up a bedsheet he'd carried with him into the room. It was soiled with a splash of a foul looking black liquid. It didn't take much to realize where it had come from, as the same liquid was still slowly seeping from the little dog's mouth. On top of that, the poor animal looked weak and miserable. He whined softly with every heavy breath that escaped him and his usually bright and playful eyes were dull.

"Oh the poor little thing." Toriel gasped, stepping over to gently take the dog from Papyrus. "Let me take a look."

She carried him to the table and set him down, holding his head up so that she could investigate what was happening with his mouth. All the while, the others all had gathered around her, fretful with worry. Truthfully, her own soul was pulsing a mile a minute as well. While she hadn't exactly been keen on the dog all the time, to see him like this was devastating. She felt like she would happily take a thousand more chewed up socks and dug up yards if it meant the poor thing could be his lively self again.

She carefully used her fingers to pry open the dog's mouth. He whined once and squirmed a bit, but stayed still with Sans' encouragement. Toriel grimaced at the sight that met her. The inside of the dog's mouth was coated in the stuff, even making most of his teeth black. And with each heavy pant that left him, more of the foul liquid rose up from his throat and spilled out from the sides of his mouth.

"Strange, I wonder if he must have eaten something he should not have." Toriel reasoned, grimacing. "What is all this black fluid?"

Suddenly the dog's whole body shook as he coughed again, and a big blob of the black substance splattered onto the table. Everyone backed up a bit, not exactly wanting any of the mysterious stuff to get on them. The mess now marring her tabletop wasn't a pretty sight to look at either.

But while the dog still looked shaken, he suddenly started to look a lot better too. His eyes brightened up and he began to hesitantly wag his tail a bit as he looked up at them all. Toriel blinked, surprised. Had getting that blob of the stuff out been enough to make him feel better?"

"huh…" Sans said to himself before warily stepping over to the dog again. "you… okay pup?"

The little dog playfully wiggled a bit in response and let out two cheerful yaps. If not for the black staining around his muzzle and chest fur, one would now be hard pressed to find anything obvious wrong with him. And as if to prove it, the dog then promptly hopped off the table and trotted over to the food bowl left out for him. Toriel just watched as he began eagerly eating, feeling dumbfounded by the whole thing.

"How very odd..." She said, still staring at the dog for a few moments before looking at her befouled kitchen table. "Well… in any case I better clean this up, regardless of what it is."

She went and got a dishrag from the sink cupboard, but Alphys stopped her before she could actually begin cleaning.

"W-wait, l-let me see that for a second." The lizard monster said, hurrying back up to the table and pulling her phone out of her pocket.

She lifted the device over the black sludge and tapped at the screen with a speed that made Toriel's head spin a little. At this point, she didn't really question what exactly Alphys' many gadgets were capable of, and she wasn't sure she'd even understand if Alphys tried to explain just what it was her phone was doing. But from the lizard monster's demeanor and the way she was beginning to visibly sweat, Toriel again got the distinct feeling that something was wrong.

She and the brothers gathered behind her, but if any of them could make sense of the strange symbols and numbers flashing across Alphys' screen, they didn't say.

"This doesn't m-make sense." Alphys finally stammered out, tapping a few things on the screen, but remaining disquieted. "I-Its magic… but it's not… r-right. Its not…"

She swallowed hard, her yellow scales paling, and Toriel saw her claws grip the edges of her phone tighter.

"I-It c-couldn't be…" She stammered out, though she seemed to be talking to herself, as if the rest of them weren't even there.

She then quickly hit a small button on the side of the phone. It summoned out what looked to be a short antenna of some sort. The small round piece at the end began beeping, and as Alphys pointed it in different directions, the beeping either increased in speed or diminished. The lizard monster's gaze was once again intense and serious.

"al, what are you-" Sans began to question, before she suddenly rushed off in the direction of the hallway the dog had been lingering in earlier. The direction that caused the device to sound off the most.

Toriel was stunned that the small, stocky monster could move so quickly. But acting on instinct, all three of them quickly hurried after her. Toriel and Papyrus tried calling out to her, trying to figure out what was going on, but it was to no avail. Whatever had possessed their friend had consumed all of her focus.

After pausing briefly only once in the hall itself, Alphys' device appeared to lead her into the guest bedroom. It was a decently sized and cozy room with two large beds and its own bathroom that was often used by any company staying over. She had had it added to the house after the events of the previous spring brought everyone closer together, and the nights that guests of all sorts stayed over increased. It had meant a lot of construction and noise for a time, but it had been worth it. Now though, looking into it was like staring into some sort of dark abyss. Toriel knew it was only because the thick curtains were drawn, but something about the darkness of the room felt… strange.

But Alphys rushed straight in, reaching into her pocket as she did so. Meanwhile the device on her phone beeped at such an intense rate that the sound was almost a shrill, continuous whine. In the darkness of the room, it was hard to make out what Alphys now had in her hand. The lizard monster only hesitated for a moment, gaze intensely locked on a spot between the two beds. A spot that, oddly, hurt Toriel's eyes somewhat to look at, and sent an icy chill down her spine the more her gaze lingered. But before she could possibly make out the reason as to why that was, Alphys threw the object she'd been holding onto the floor with force, aiming it directly at the spot in question.

"G-get back!" She cried out to the rest of them, turning tail and all but crashing into all of them in an attempt to push them backwards. The reason as to why became clear quickly.

There was a burst of light and smoke, similar to the kind Mettaton used in his grand entrances and attacks, if notably less glittery. The blast coincided with the large mass of… something, erupting into existence with a screech of various mechanical sounds. It was too dark to make out what it was exactly, but it quickly filled the space between the two beds, pushing them up at an angle against the wall and narrowly avoiding crushing the small side table between them. The ceiling fan wasn't as lucky, losing a blade with a crack as the strange thing grew tall enough to push up into it.

Once the thing seemed to stop growing and grew still with what sounded and appeared to be a hiss of steam, the whole atmosphere of the room seemed to change. The oddly oppressing darkness appeared to ease, as though the sun had been allowed to seep through the curtains again. A weight seemed to have be lifted, and Toriel felt she could breathe easier. But her confusion and bewilderment firmly remained, only deepening by those sensations.

What now stood before them looked like a huge dome of glass, sitting on a metal base outfitted with all sorts of panels, buttons and flashing lights. It was taller than it was wide, and looked to Toriel like something meant to… contain something. She opened and shut her mouth, trying to form words and demand answers as to what on earth had just happened.

"W-WOWIE…" Papyrus was the first to react, his jaw still dropped from shock.

Sans broke out of being stunned next, sweat dripping down his skull as he looked bewilderedly at Alphys.

"uh…" Was all he could manage at first, a terribly strained grin spreading on his face. "m-mind explaining why you just plopped a huge containment chamber into our guest room?"

But Alphys still did not answer, and was instead staring into the dome without daring to take a breath. Something about the intensity of her gaze caused Toriel and the brothers to follow it, fixating on a point in the center of the chamber. The same point Alphys had tossed the initial device in the first place.

For a moment, nothing happened, and Toriel was about to quite sternly demand _why_ exactly Alphys had saw fit to damage her home like this. But then, something inside the containment chamber… moved.

Like a curl of smoke rising from the first real flames of a developing blaze, a shadowy mass began to take shape in the center of the dome. It grew larger and more defined as the moments passed, along with the darkness it embodied deepening.

"I thought so." Alphys said, voice surprisingly steady. But the fear there was still plain as day.

"al, what did you..." Sans began to question her again, only to trail off as the thing before them steadily took on a more recognizable shape.

Toriel's mind rebelled against her when she realized just what… or rather … _who_ … she was seeing. It didn't feel real, like she was back in that hellscape reliving all her lost memories. But even with how bizarrely things had unfolded today… she knew this was no dream. While she'd seen that face before lost in that sea of memories, there was something so much more tangible and chilling about laying eyes upon it now.

Stark white skull, laced with cracks. Jagged smile. Empty dark sockets. Pitch black form that seemed to be melting into intangibility. Black liquid perpetually seeping from the sockets and mouth. Just like he had appeared in her dream.

W.D. Gaster.

He may be heavily disfigured from the monster she once knew, but the sight of him sparked in her a cold and bitter sense of familiarity all the same. The kind that ignited a deep, sickening rage. For the moment though, all she could really process was a numbing sense of shock.

"By the stars…." She rasped out, feeling the fur at her neck standing on end. "It…is _him._ It really _is_ him."

Nobody else said a word, as the grisly phantom before them just continued to stare back at them with those chilling empty sockets. There were no clear emotions on his face. No real sense of recognition. Almost like he had no idea they were even there.

The air in the spaces on either side of her begin pricking with magic, emanating from both skeleton brothers. But the emotions behind the magic were vastly different, though equally intense. And from one of them… the sensation was fierce enough to be painful. She didn't look at Sans in the moment, unable to tear her eyes from Gaster's ghostly form, but she could hardly imagine what he was feeling.

"H-How on earth did you…?" The words to Alphys tumbled out of Toriel's mouth, almost unbidden.

The lizard monster seemed just as frozen as the rest of them, but after taking in a shaky breath, she moved towards the control panel on the chamber.

"L-let's just say… I'm pr-pretty sure some... "pieces" of him have been w-wandering around in the True Lab for a long time. And I've had the m-misfortune of running into them a f-few times." She said, tearing her eyes away from Gaster to look down at the flashing buttons and screens. "I felt a f-familiar eerie feeling c-coming from this room. A-and from the dog earlier. Then with what you were talking a-about regarding dreams involving him and seeing th-that black fluid in the dog's mouth… W-well, everything s-seemed to be fitting t-together."

She reached forward and tapped the glass with a claw, as if testing its strength or trying to elicit a reaction from the monster inside. Gaster remained still other than the perpetual "melting" of his body, and gave no response.

"This c-containment unit was an old experiment I did r-regarding quick, auto assembling structures. I-I designed it to try and catch these p-particularly elusive and u-unaccounted for amalgamates in the lab. Ones that looked to be es-especially... mixed up... and were always messing with my phone. It n-never was able to catch those guys… but the device definitely seems to have w-worked this time."

Even with the explanation, Toriel's mind was in a whirl. The horrible realization was setting in that Gaster had indeed been observing them, toying with them, hiding out in their own home. Not to mention seemingly taking control of the small white dog in order to so. And to think she had been so confident that morning that everything was fine. Had Alphys not noticed what she had and taken action, who knows what could have happened...

"you old bastard…" Sans finally spoke up, breaking the silence, but only just.

Despite the harsh language, his tone was level and calm, and his usual grin remained in place, if heavily strained. But there was an undercurrent of that icy kind of rage that Toriel had witnessed from him before as well. And no amount of posturing on his part could keep his sockets from going totally dark, inadvertently making him and Gaster look like dark mirrors of one another.

"you… you really were watching us, trying to start something after all." Sans said, taking a step towards the containment chamber and pinning Gaster so fiercely with his hollow gaze that Toriel was surprised the imprisoned monster didn't wither from it.

"well, look what it led you to, huh?"

Toriel finally found she could tear her gaze from Gaster, looking down at Sans in concern. Only then could she really see just how severely he was being affected. He'd told her so many stories about the evils his father had wrought against him and others. How Gaster treated his creations like little more than lab rats, and created Sans and Papyrus for the sole purpose of being weapons to be wielded against humanity. The sheer cruelty and degradation of morality the monster before them was responsible for was beyond compare.

So though seeing Sans so angry and pained worried her, she didn't intervene. So long as he didn't do anything… rash… she'd let him decide how to handle and feel about this situation. Honestly, her own head was still reeling too much for her to really know how to react either.

She watched as Sans stepped closer, giving off an intense, intimidating aura. But she didn't miss the fact that his hands, which had curled into tight fists at his sides, were shaking.

"explain yourself." He ordered in a low voice, sockets still totally dark. "start talking."

For a few beats, Gaster continued to appear still and lifeless, staring blankly ahead at them unblinking. Enough so that Toriel wondered if he was even aware at all. But then the corners of his mouth gave a twitch, then another. Then his expression slowly shifted, though his disfigured features made it difficult to parse what sort of emotion it was trying to convey. One thing was clear though, whatever the emotion may be, it was manic _._

A strange chuckling emanated from Gaster then, sounding like a faint mix of ghostly tones and harsh balefulness. As it trailed off, unfocused eyelights began to flicker within his sockets, and they appeared to be directed towards Sans. Gaster moved his mouth then, and Toriel could just make out the raspy, but recognizable voice that escaped him. His unusual way of speaking sounded even more alien and distorted now then it had when she had known him long ago, and hearing it again made her skin crawl.

Still, no one could understand what he was saying. At least not fully, not even in Sans' case. And the frozen expression on Gaster's face showed he likely knew this and cared little, seemingly enjoying the reactions of his spectators. He only spoke for a few moments, his flickering eyelights slowly drifting between them all without moving his head.

Then they shifted over to Alphys, and she grew pale under his unsettling gaze. She curled her tail in front of her defensively, clearly trying not to shudder. But when Sans stepped closer to the dome once more with a low sound of frustration, she shook herself and managed to refocus some.

"H-Hold on… I think I can actually manage to make him understandable w-with a bit of tweaking." She said, stopping Sans with a gentle touch of her tail. "His manner of speech is naturally d-distorted, but I can probably filter it through the sp-speaker with this program to make it comprehensible. At least a little."

She stepped towards the control panel, lifting a claw over the screen to tap something, but pausing just before it could have made contact.

"Th-that is… if you are okay with me doing that Sans." She asked him over her shoulder, sweat dripping down her scales.

A heavy silence hung over all of them then, with only the soft mechanical whine of the containment chamber cutting through the quiet. All the while, Gaster stared at them, unblinking. Toriel looked to Sans, unsure of what to do or say. This… this wasn't really something she had a say in. But at the same time, it was just happening too fast! They all needed to take a moment to process, did they not? Sans wasn't in his right mind at the moment... how could he be? Allowing this phantom from his past to speak and potentially torment him, tear open old wounds while Sans was in this volatile state… it was a recipe for disaster and great anguish.

She raised a paw to lay on his shoulder, to hopefully aid him in calming a bit, but he spoke again before she could.

"do it." He said quietly to Alphys, not once directing his darkened sockets away from Gaster's ghoulish form. "i wanna hear what the old bastard has to say for himself. besides, if we don't, he'll probably just start signing somehow anyway."

Alphys shared an uneasy glance with Toriel and Papyrus, but when neither could really offer much opposition on the spot, she took a deep breath and began typing on the keypad. Gaster's jagged smile seemed to grow as he watched her, as if he knew just what she was doing and was waiting with anticipation for her to complete the task.

That pressure no doubt made Alphys fumble a few times in what she was doing, and Toriel heard her curse lightly under her breath. But finally, the lizard monster released the breath she'd been holding and turned shakily to face them all.

"Th-there… that sh-should do it."

For a long moment, they all just watched Gaster, waiting to see if he spoke again, and if it would now be understandable. Then suddenly, Gaster's dark form surged forward, moving in a seemingly impossible manner. He stopped just short of colliding with the glass, leering at them all with wild eyelights. His abrupt movement was so startling that it made Toriel's soul all but leap out of her chest, and all of them scurried back from the chamber by instinct. All except for Sans, who remained ever rigid where he stood, keeping his gaze pinned to his father's without so much as flinching.

Gaster kept his gaze locked with Sans' a few moments more, before grinning more obviously and shuddering with that deeply unsettling laughter once again. A dark, manic kind of glee showed in his twisted features, despite his situation of being trapped. Then finally, he spoke. While it was still his same unusual voice that could be heard from behind the glass, the words being spoken now also came through the little speaker on the control panel. It was translated in a low robotic text to speech type voice and the emotionless delivery of the machine made the words being spoken all the more frightening.

"CLEVER WORK ALPHYS. CLEVER WORK INDEED." Gaster trilled, with the robotic voice translating and matching the speed of when he spoke with surprising skill.

Alphys said nothing, just remained on the floor where she'd fallen and stared up at Gaster wide eyed. Gaster seemed unfazed by this, his unfocused gaze now sweeping over each of them in turn, ignoring Sans completely.

"WELL WELL, LOOK AT THIS LITTLE WELCOME PARTY." He spoke again, as Toriel helped Alphys and Papyrus up to stand beside her. "THE RESULTS OF MY FAILED PROJECTS, MY LITTLE SUCCESSOR, AND THE RUNAWAY QUEEN HERSELF."

Toriel narrowed her eyes, especially at that last part. Her magic was already burning hot within her, only growing hotter as her shock at the situation gave way to other, far more intense emotions. Still, she did her best to keep her cool. There would be no benefit from her blowing up at the ghoulish monster, especially with Sans clearly nearing the edge of his patience as well. She just glared openly at Gaster, willing all her old royal intimidation into it. But the former royal scientist's amusement didn't appear to wane.

Suddenly though, his body shuddered and a wave of distortion seemed to pass through him. In its wake, Gaster was beset by racking coughs, in which more black fluid spilled from his mouth and sockets. But all the while, he still kept up that twisted grin. Once the coughing fit subsided, he once again faced them all, eyelights intense and flickering slightly.

"I DIDN'T PLAN TO GET TO MEET YOU ALL AGAIN SO SOON." He said, matter of factly, even before the robotic voice had translated his words in such a tone. "BUT FATE CERTAINLY HAS ITS TWISTS AND TURNS."

Toriel held back a sharp retort, gritting her teeth before forcing herself to take in a breath and slowly let it out.

"I believe you were asked to answer a question, were you not?" She said, deciding to take initiative in speaking to their unwelcome guest. "What are you doing here, Wingdings?"

Speaking his name again felt so strange, as did looking upon his frightening visage. She had such a hard time connecting the monster before her with the one she now remembered from all those decades ago. To the one that… she once had considered a friend. Perhaps the form in which he was in now, so heavily distorted from what he once was, better reflected the monster he really was, the one who had done such vile things in the name of freedom.

Gaster's expression remained frozen, perhaps only the slightest waver to his eyelights indicating a response to her using his name. But regardless, it was quickly overshadowed by a crinkling of his sockets as he regarded her.

"HOW AMUSING." He rasped out in reply. "LAST I CHECKED, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ROYAL AUTHORITY ANYMORE, TORIEL."

He all but spat her name, and she could hear a hint of contempt in his voice. It didn't surprise her. Even back then, she knew Gaster, loyal as he was to the cause of monsterkind's freedom, would be among those most disgusted by her decision to leave the throne.

"AH, BUT I SUPPOSE YOU'RE ALL STILL OWED AN EXPLANATION." He went on, closing his sockets briefly. "I WAS PLANNING ON SPEAKING TO YOU ALL AT SOME POINT. YOU'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE ME THOUGH, YOU GAVE ME NO TIME AT ALL TO PREPARE A SPEECH."

Once again, he was overcome by a coughing fit, one that sounded so unnatural that Toriel felt the urge to back away again. She stayed put, not sure what to make of it. Was it a trick? Some pathetic ploy for sympathy? It seemed unlikely, as Gaster really did look about as unwell as could be, despite his persistent unnerving smile. Real or not, it certainly wasn't going to make her feel bad for him.

She looked to Sans, expecting he must have something to say. A million things to say even… But he was just standing in front of the chamber, still and silent. He'd put his hands back in his hoodie pockets, perhaps to feign levelheadedness, but she could still feel the electric aura of his magic radiating off of him.

"AND IN ALL HONESTY… AS I AM SURE IS PLAIN TO SEE, I AM NOT EXACTLY FEELING MY BEST THESE DAYS." Gaster spoke again though heavy breaths once the coughing subsided.

Sensing he still had the floor so to speak, he cleared his metaphorical throat and continued. As he did, a small, gnarled, skeletal hand burst out from the black mass of his body and floated on its own accord up to tap against his chin. It still had the hole Sans had described to her, and remembering the implications of how it had gotten there in the first place made her shudder.

"NOW WHERE TO BEGIN…" He mused dryly, eyelights sweeping over all those on the other side of the glass. "WELL, HOW ABOUT WITH YOU TORIEL? AFTER ALL, I SUPPOSE I HAVE YOU TO THANK FOR STARTING ALL THIS."

Toriel blinked, not expecting to be singled out. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"Me?" She questioned, arching a brow. "Just what do you mean by that?"

"YES, YOU." He confirmed, before gesturing towards Sans. "IF YOU HADN'T FINALLY GOTTEN MY LITTLE PROTOTYPE HERE TO SPILL WHAT HE KNOWS, YOU AND THE OTHERS WOULD HAVE NEVER REGAINED YOUR MEMORIES OF ME. IT WAS YOUR COLLECTIVE REMEMBRANCE THAT HAS RESTORED ME ENOUGH TO SET ME FREE."

Toriel swallowed hard and looked down at Sans. So his theory on why Gaster was showing up in their dreams had proven correct after all. She wondered with an ache in her soul if his father's words had reignited some of Sans' long standing guilt over the entire situation. If they had, it didn't show in his expression, as his deadened sockets remained resolutely fixed on Gaster.

"that doesn't explain what you're doing _here_. or what the hell you want." Sans said, tone icy.

Gaster's eyelights drifted to rest on Sans again, but only for a moment. He looked away as he spoke his reply, as if even laying eyes on his son was beneath him.

"IS IT NOT ENOUGH TO SAY I SIMPLY WISHED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR MY NEWLY ACQUIRED FREEDOM?" He asked, grin splitting further across his face. "WHO ELSE WOULD I COME TO VISIT FIRST HERE ON THE SURFACE? ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE… INTERESTING RECENT DEVELOPMENTS."

Once again, he was focused on Toriel, as she could practically feel his unnatural gaze piercing through her. Maternal instinct caused her to wrap an arm protectively around her front, and she saw another flash of amusement in his eyelights.

He knew. It wasn't surprising given that he had just been revealed to have been watching them, but the thought still made her magic run cold. The little soul within her sent a slightly stronger pulse through her, as though trying to sort out what was wrong. Toriel was too on edge to soothe them fully, but she did her best to silently reassure them all the same.

Gaster's knowing look then made her feel ill, but for better or worse, he didn't linger on the topic.

"BUT YES, THERE WAS ANOTHER REASON I CAME HERE…" He confirmed, regaining as much of a professional tone and posture as he feasibly could. "IT WAS AN ENDEAVOR THAT ENDED IN FAILURE, UNFORTUNATELY. NEITHER OF YOU SEEMED TO HAVE HELD ONTO MY OLD... PERSONAL EFFECTS. I HAVE FOUND THAT I NEED SOME THINGS AMONG THEM NOW THAT I AM STEADILY BECOMING WHOLE ONCE MORE. "

Toriel was unsure what he was referring to. It all sounded so purposefully cryptic and suspicious. But apparently Sans was able to piece it together. And for the first time since Gaster had appeared, his expression shifted and he sounded genuinely shaken.

"you're dying..." Sans said quietly. And it wasn't a question but a statement.

"now that you're not just a scattered consciousness, you actually need _that stuff_ again don't you? you came here looking for any remaining soul extracts to try and save yourself."

He shrugged his shoulders, his grin taking on an air of vindication.

"heh, well tough luck doc, all the samples of DT and the vials of soul extract were destroyed long ago. especially your little personal stash. I made sure of it."

His sockets went dark again upon those last few words, but this time it felt far more for an attempt at intimidation than the overload of emotions that had stolen the light from them earlier.

"S-SANS WHAT DO YOU-" Papyrus began to ask, but Sans interrupted him without missing a beat.

"perseverance. extract from the fallen child with the purple soul color." He said grimly, and Toriel saw a sympathetic look even in his dark sockets as his gaze met hers for a moment. "i don't know what all he mixed it with back then. but he was always drinking from a flask that he'd fill with the stuff. Or taking it in little purple capsules."

Toriel felt sick. Images of the purple souled child that she'd cared for came rushing back. Samar. The fifth child to fall into the Underground. The sickly boy had suffered so much in his short life. So to now hear that even in death, his soul was experimented upon and used by Gaster for his own depraved ends. She felt her claws extend unbidden, her lips curl, and two thin plumes of smoke curled out from her nostrils.

"That is how you have managed to live so long, is it not?" She growled, voice low and venomous. "You should have perished long ago Wingdings, but you were using the magic from that child's soul to artificially extend your life. All to see your revenge carried out."

Hatred burned in her chest, flaring up in the form of actual magical flames that she could only just hold back.

" _You vile wretch_."

Despite the intensity of her rage, Gaster still seemed unmoved. He just smiled that twisted smile, brimming with distant amusement.

"YOU WERE ALWAYS THE BRAINS BEHIND THE THRONE, TORIEL. I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT HASN'T CHANGED... EVEN NOW." He said, another flash of scorn briefly becoming visible in his eyelights. "IT IS TRUE. I DID FIND A WAY BACK THEN TO ENSURE I WOULD LIVE TO SEE THE DAY HUMANITY FINALLY FELL. ALL OF THE TRAITS OF THE HUMAN SOULS REVEALED THEMSELVES THROUGH RESEARCH AND TESTING TO HAVE UNIQUE EFFECTS WHEN PROPERLY PREPARED AND INJECTED INTO A MONSTER SOUL. PERSEVERANCE'S… JUST HAPPENED TO BE AMONG ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL. AND I AM SURE THESE TWO HAVE SHOWN YOU WHAT SOME OF THE OTHERS ARE CAPABLE OF."

He once again gestured to Sans and Papyrus, who glowered or stepped back in turn. Similar to Toriel's reaction earlier, she noticed Sans step in front of his brother somewhat, tensing with protectiveness. Gaster just chuckled one of his wet, raspy chuckles again.

"MY MY, WHAT A TRULY MISERABLE WELCOME THIS IS." He observed, settling his liquid-like form in place as though in a sitting position. "I RETURN AFTER DECADES OF LIVING WITH MY BODY AND MIND SHATTERED, AND THIS IS THE GREETING I RECEIVE? HOW VERY INTERESTING."

"cut the jokes g," Sans all but ordered, his strained grin widening. "they were never your thing. plus you are the furthest thing from funny."

Sans' dark sockets narrowed, and Toriel thought she saw a flicker of cyan in his left socket, though it may have just been her imagination.

"where are the others?" Sans demanded, drilling his father further with his gaze. "felidae, beakley, spline, shellryne… and raine."

He paused on that last one, and Toriel was surprised to hear a hint of grief to his tone.

"don't play dumb, where are they?"

For the first time, Gaster's manic grin seemed to fall some. His eyelights wavered, and something dark passed over them. But the moment passed in a blink and his smile slid cruelly back into place.

"LONG GONE." He said dismissively. "ONCE EVERYONE BEGAN TO REMEMBER ME, AND BY PROXY, THEM, THEY TOO BEGAN TO GAIN CORPOREAL FORM ONCE AGAIN. I SPOTTED LITTLE RAINE CELEBRATING AS SUCH IN WATERFALL BEFORE I TRULY REALIZED WHAT WAS OCCURING, BUT THEY ALL HAVE SINCE FLED, FROM ME AND FROM THE UNDERGROUND, FOR VARIOUS REASONS I IMAGINE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE ANY OF THEM ENDED UP."

There was a thump as Alphys' tail twitched irritably, rapping once against the console of the chamber.

"Tch, s-sounds like a l-load of lies to me." She retorted, crossing her arms.

Gaster's unsteady eyelights flicked over to her, while the rest of his face remained unmoving.

"ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY, MY ASTUTE YOUNG SUCCESSOR." He rasped, almost sounding proud of her.

Alphys was unmoved, looking away uncomfortably with a notable look of disgust in her eyes.

"Wh-what was with the dreams? You d-didn't answer, _that_ , yet." She said, while still refusing to meet the ghoulish monster's eyelights. "Why did we all have weird dreams about you b-before you showed up?"

It was a question that all present wanted answered, and a weighty silence fell over the room while they waited for a reply. Thankfully, even though leaving them in suspense clearly had been amusing Gaster before, he didn't keep them waiting.

"AH YES…" He said, closing his sockets briefly. "I WAS SIMPLY TESTING MY ABILITIES NOW THAT I CAN UTILIZE THEM, AND IT WAS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO CHECK IN ON YOU ALL. I HAD TRIED MANY TIMES TO MAKE A CONNECTION, AND IT SEEMS THAT IT HAD THE GREATEST CHANCE OF WORKING WHILST YOUR MINDS WERE… DISTRACTED, VULNERABLE, LOST IN DREAMS."

Ghostly black tendrils rose up from his body then, curling through the air around him and against the glass. As her soul skipped a beat, Toriel could imagine those appendages wrapping about someone as they slept, or multiple people at once. If they had been as intangible as he was during the time, no one could have known they were there.

"I WAS ONLY EVER ABLE TO MAINTAIN IT FOR BRIEF INSTANCES, BUT EACH ONE TAUGHT ME MORE AND MORE ABOUT HOW TO GET THE CONNECTION TO ENDURE." He said, as if what he was discussing was as benign as a college lecture. "THANKFULLY, IT SEEMS FURTHER EXPERIMENTATION WILL NOT BE NECESSARY."

Sans made a sound between a scoff and a hollow chuckle.

"right, because you're dying."

Gaster's head turned to look at Sans then, eyelights sharpening. Some of the black tendrils curled more forcefully against the glass as though trying to push through and grab the small skeleton. All the while though, Gaster outwardly appeared calm.

"YOU SPEAK AS THOUGH YOU EXPECT I DON'T KNOW THIS." He said, calling some of his attacks back. "YES, THIS CORPOREAL FORM, BROUGHT BACK TOGETHER THE WAY IT IS, WILL NOT LAST ME MUCH LONGER. IS IT SO SURPRISING THEN THAT I'D RETURN TO SEE WHAT THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR HAVE GROWN INTO? THERE IS FAR MORE TO BE GAINED BY THAT THEN TO SIMPLY MEET MY END SOMEWHERE OUT THERE IN THIS VILE HUMAN INFESTED WORLD."

There was a dark hint of malice to his tone at the end, somewhat nullified by the robotic voice translating his words. But Toriel had a feeling no one present missed it. His eyelights moved once more, away from Sans and on to his brother. The brother who'd been uncharacteristically quiet during the whole exchange.

"I AM ESPECIALLY PLEASED TO SEE YOU, PAPYRUS." Gaster crooned, looking the skeleton over as though he were some magnificent treasure. "YOU SEEMED TO HAVE DOUBLED IN BOTH SIZE AND POWER SINCE I SAW YOU LAST, _SON_. IT APPEARS MY CALCULATIONS WHILE CRAFTING YOUR SOUL WERE INDEED ON THE MARK."

Papyrus took a step back, a confused range of emotions flashing across his face.

"I-I… WELL..." He stammered, before the sharp sound of Sans slamming his open palm on the glass of the chamber cut him off.

" _leave him out of this._ " Sans growled, his left eyelight now openly flashing and sparking with magic.

The sound had made everyone in the room flinch, all except Gaster. He only looked down at the small monster he'd created all those years ago with a mixture of dull amusement… and contempt.

"AH… AND IN CONTRAST, YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED A BIT, MY LITTLE PROTOTYPE." He said, his true voice taking on a tone of mock affection. "THOUGH I WILL SAY, THE FACT YOU STILL LIVE IS QUITE A MIRACLE INDEED. I WOULD HAVE ASSUMED THAT, HAD YOUR PITIFULLY WEAK SOUL NOT DONE YOU IN BY NOW, THE ABILITIES THOSE SOUL TRAITS GRANTED YOU WOULD HAVE AT LEAST DRIVEN YOU TO A SELF DESTRUCTIVE MADNESS."

Sans had not have a witty comeback for that at seemed, and steadily, Toriel felt the deep anger fueling Sans' magic dwindle to something… colder. As if his father's cruel words and disdain had reawakened some of the learned helplessness the royal scientist had burned into him way back then. Gaster appeared to detect this, like a shark who had caught a whiff of blood in the water.

The ghoulish skeleton's sockets went dark again, and he moved his face close enough that they were only separated by the few inches of glass between them.

"THOUGH I SUPPOSE WE BOTH KNOW WHAT VARIABLES PREVENTED THAT OUTCOME, NOW DON'T WE?"

The attempt at intimidation was foiled some by yet another fit of coughing overwhelming him, this one by far the most intense. Gaster's very form seem to distort with each one, flickering in and out of tangibility. By the time it was over, the black fluid was spilling steadily from his mouth and sockets, spattering the floor of the chamber with dark stains. His breathing was labored and slow, enough so that Toriel thought he may not even try and speak again. But eventually he did, though his voice was noticeably weaker.

"WELL… AS FUN AS CATCHING UP WAS, I AM AFRAID IT IS RATHER TAXING FOR A MONSTER IN MY CONDITION." He rasped, still putting up a front of calm collectedness. "I FIGURE YOU ALL ARE GOING TO GO OFF AND COLLECTIVELY CALCULATE WHAT IS THE BEST METHOD OF DEALING WITH ME FROM HERE. QUITE THE DIFFICULT TASK I WOULD IMAGINE, WITH SO MANY OPPOSING POINTS OF VIEW."

He looked between his two creations in particular, his twisted smile returning to full strength despite the clear strain it caused him.

"I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR DECISION. BUT SO LONG AS I'M TO BE CONTAINED WITHIN THESE _LOVELY_ ACCOMMODATIONS, I THINK I WILL REST, AND PERHAPS EXPERIENCE THE JOYS OF TRUE SLEEP ONCE MORE. IT HAS BEEN SOME TIME."

With that, he drew back from the glass, drifting back to the opposite end of the chamber. His skeletal hand melted back into the black mass of his body as he settled in place. Much of the rest of him started to lose definition as well, as though it had been an effort to appear as tangible as he had. Before long, only his most basic features remained in a recognizable form.

"GOOD LUCK." He croaked out with one last wide grin, before his mismatched sockets slowly slid shut.

Then there was only silence, as Toriel and the others continued to stare at him, expecting him to leap up again or speak further at any moment. But the dark form within the chamber remained still. When enough time had passed, Toriel and the others all seemed to look at each other in unison. A silent understanding passed between them as Alphys gave a nod while laying a hand on the control panel, indicating that there was no threat of Gaster escaping his current confinement.

They all turned then to leave in silence, all except Sans who lingered for a few moments longer, likely still convinced Gaster would get out somehow. Or perhaps he simply still didn't know how to process what had just happened. Toriel waited in the doorway for him, about to reach out and touch his shoulder, but he managed to will himself to turn and follow them all before that. He kept his head down, so she didn't see his expression, but the lingering waves of intense magic she could feel emanating off of him as he passed told her enough.

It was her that last laid eyes on the pitiful form of the former royal scientist before shutting the door, getting a sinking feeling in her gut that Gaster was right about one thing. The conversation ahead for all of them... wasn't going to be pretty.

...

Somehow, they all ended up back in the living room after that. Toriel's mind was in such a whirl that she didn't even notice. Papyrus was fiddling absently with his gloves and staring at the entrance to the hallway. All of his usual confidence and optimism seemed deflated, leaving him uncharacteristically quiet and despondent. Alphys was trembling a bit, arms and tail wrapped around herself as she seemed to be utterly lost in thought. And Sans just kept his skull down and covered by his hood, sockets still devoid of light. No one seemed to know what to say.

She looked around at the three other haggard faces, and knew she must look the same. Someone needed to speak up though, otherwise she feared the oppressive atmosphere would only becoming suffocating.

"I…" She began, before pausing and deciding to amend her words. "Are… you all okay?"

It took a moment for her words to make any sort of impact, slow to pierce the veil hanging over each of them. Papyrus and Alphys turned to look at her, but it was Sans who first replied, though while still keeping his gaze rooted to the floor.

"he's... he's barely anything like i remember." He said in rather a detached tone, almost as though he were talking to himself. "ol' g was… always so cold and distant. stone faced... even while he purposely broke your arms or injected your soul with his experimental concoctions. and when he _did_ blow up and lose the facade… it was always from anger… not… spite or sarcasm or whatever the hell that bastard is pulling in there."

He laid a hand over his face and let out a long, shaky sigh, one that seem to pull his small frame down with it. His legs trembled a bit, so he sank down to sit on the edge of the coffee table.

"guess i shouldn't be surprised though. the guy's been living scattered into pieces for well over a decade. his mind must be just as screwy and passed its expiration date as his body is right now." He added, letting his hand slide down his face to fall into his lap.

With his face now visible, Toriel could see that his eyelights had returned, though they were terribly faint and flickered every few moments. They were all that moved when he looked up at his brother, who was next to find the strength to speak.

"HE… DEFINITELY DOESN'T SEEM OKAY…" He agreed, wringing his hands and looking openly conflicted.

As uneasy as the observations were for the brothers, Toriel felt some relief in hearing that from them. So it had not been only her who had felt that way. Gaster's appearance wasn't the only thing drastically different about him. His behavior, his manner of speech, his flippancy… It was all so far from the shy, traumatized monster she once knew in her youth, as well as from the stiff, serious and cold royal scientist he'd grown into.

The monster currently trapped in their guest room felt like a stranger attempting an imitation, a mere twisted reflection of what was lost. Perhaps that was exactly what they were dealing with, seeing as the original had been well and truly shattered across existence. The fact remained though. He was now here, and was undeniably what remained of W.D Gaster.

"Well, there is one thing he got correct. We are going to need to decide what we are going to do with him." Toriel reminded them, her tone grim. "I have… my own thoughts. But I think this is something that you two should get the most say in."

She directed those last words to the brothers, eyes softening as she did so. Sans just nodded in response, matching her serious expression. Alphys seemed content to not be directly responsible in this situation, but still carried a haunted look in her eyes. Papyrus in contrast seemed to gain a little bit of pep back from Toriel's words, putting forth an effort to work up a smile.

"M-MAYBE WE SHOULD TELL ASGORE?" He suggested, sounding happy to be contributing towards a possible solution. "HE IS STILL KING AFTER ALL, PERHAPS HE…"

"no"

The single quiet word from Sans stopped Papyrus dead in his tracks, and drew all eyes in the room in the smaller skeleton's direction. Sans' sockets had gone dark again, and his strained grin was tight at the edges.

"asgore's too soft, and he and gaster were all buddy-buddy back in the day." He explained, and there was a soft creaking sound as his hands curled into tight fists within his pockets. "i know he'll let em off easy."

Toriel swallowed hard, not having considered that. Knowing her ex-husband, Sans' fears may not be too far off. Her memories of their shared past were still vague despite them being returned to her. Events that happened so far back in her childhood were always hazy. But she remembered well how close Asgore and Gaster had once been, especially during the time that the war left the orphaned young skeleton staying at her castle.

She had been friends with him as well, but she never shared the same closeness that Asgore and Gaster did with one another. The two had bonded over their own passionate interests… and a shared deep hatred for humanity.

Asgore would eventually learn to move past that prejudice, but Gaster never did. Even so, and with all the evils the former royal scientist had inflicted now known, it wasn't hard to imagine Asgore taking pity on him. Especially in the dire state Gaster was currently in.

"BUT IF THEY WERE FRIENDS ONCE, MAYBE IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR ASGORE TO SEE DAD!" Papyrus reasoned, still trying to keep a positive tone. "MAYBE IT WOULD… HELP HIM NOT BE SO… SO..."

Papyrus couldn't seem to find the right word to end his argument, and Toriel could practically see his confidence slipping again. Though it was not for a lack of conviction, but rather, the distracting quiet anger of his older brother. Sans was finally looking up at him, and his empty gaze was harsh.

"pap, he's not gonna change." He retorted, before narrowing his dark sockets further. "you _know_ what he's like."

Papyrus blinked at Sans' reaction, looking concerned for a moment before forcibly regaining his weak smile.

"THAT WAS BEFORE THOUGH!" He pointed out, gesturing dramatically as he spoke. "MAYBE… HE _COULD_ BE DIFFERENT NOW. IF HE REALLY TRIED AND FELT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY! AND WE'RE ALL GREAT AT GIVING PEOPLE THAT!"

Papyrus spoke with far more of his usual energy then, seeming confident that he could get his brother to agree. And usually, Sans _was_ quick to agree with and support his brother in important matters like this. But this time, it just wasn't working. The dark anger Gaster had stirred in Sans had hold of him, and wasn't letting go.

It was an anger Toriel knew well by now, one she had first witnessed that day during their initial talk beneath the willow tree. Now better able to handle the emotion without falling back on apathy, he no longer succumbed to it quite as intensely as he had back then. But just because his eyelight wasn't blazing away and his hands weren't wreathed in ethereal blue didn't mean he wasn't burning up inside.

"it doesn't matter. you heard him in there, he doesn't care." He retorted, turning to glare in the direction of the hallway. "he's just here for his own amusement. a last little dig at us before he finally kicks the bucket. him changing now wouldn't mean anything. he'll be dead soon enough. he doesn't... deserve closure."

Even Sans himself seemed surprised to hear those words leave him. But he didn't take them back. He simply dropped his gaze once more with a low sound of irritation. Papyrus meanwhile, didn't miss a beat, though his tone grew more confused and stressed.

"BUT WHAT ABOUT FRISK? AND ASRIEL? AND CHARA? AND ASGORE TOO. THEY ALL DID TERRIBLE THINGS, AND WE FORGAVE THEM. MAYBE IF WE JUST-"

"papyrus, just _drop it_." Sans demanded, the faintest flicker of his left eyelight briefly sparking to life before flickering out again.

Though the sign of his magic getting out of hand faded, his anger did not.

"he's not like them. the monster in there has _no_ remorse for what he did. he's still out there manipulating all those he can just to sneak around and mess with people's heads for his own ends. he couldn't care less about the suffering he caused us. for all the torture, abuse, neglect and screwing with our heads like we weren't even monsters. he's made that perfectly clear. i'm _not_ letting him exploit you or me or _anyone_ ever again."

By the time Sans had gotten all the words out, he was breathing hard like it had somehow winded him. But as the seconds passed and he steadily realized the weight of his outburst, he seemed to slowly deflate and sunk his skull into his hands where he sat.

"so please… just drop it."

The request was far less venomous, but that edge of anger was still present in his voice beneath all the exhaustion. The silence hanging over them all continued in the wake of his words, leaving the thick with a rare tension between the brothers. Toriel shared a concerned look with Alphys, who Toriel could tell just from the look on her face that she too recognized how unusual and upsetting this was.

It was so rare to see the brothers truly argue like this. They had had their squabbles over little things and plenty of disagreements before. Especially whenever Papyrus would get fed up with Sans' lazy behavior. But overall, they always managed to make up in no time and retained their incredibly close bond. But this… it felt far beyond anything else she'd witnessed from them.

She felt her soul ache for both of them, and knew she had to say some to stop this before it potentially got any worse. She stepped over to where Sans was sitting on the table and carefully laid a paw on his shoulder. He stiffened a bit at first, but then relaxed by degrees and allowed it.

"Clearly we are not going to be able to come to a decision at the moment." She said gently, but with enough firmness to demand attention. "Let us go and clear our heads, and we can talk about it later. There is a lot to consider, and I fear we may all be too stressed for that at the moment. For now… I believe it is best to simply leave him in there where he is. He will not be going anywhere, after all."

Sans didn't uncover his face or look up at her, but after a few beats, she felt the tension slowly ease out of him.

"alright…" He conceded, reaching up with one hand to allow her to help him to his feet.

As she did, Papyrus, struggling to conceal the hurt in his expression, took a small step back.

"OKAY…" He answered her, fiddling his gloved hands together. "I-I… THINK I WILL GO TAKE A WALK THEN. WALKING IS A MOST HEAD CLEARING ACTIVITY."

Without another word or waiting for a true reply, Papyrus turned and headed for the door. They all stared after him even after the door swung shut, the sound causing Toriel's soul to pang harshly within her. She felt Sans tighten his grip on her paw, gaze unmoving from the door. She returned the gesture gently, still internally trying to catch up with all that had just happened. The implications of what this could potentially lead to… did not bode well with her.

It was only when Alphys moved did she looked over at her. The small lizard monster sat herself down on the couch, looking exhausted and miserable as she hugged her knees to her chest and curled her thick tail around herself.

"I-I'll just wait here…" She said quietly, inevitably looking towards the hallway that began all this.

As much as Toriel didn't want to leave Alphys alone in such a state, she knew she needed to talk to Sans. And it was better for everyone that it was done without an audience.

"We will be right in the kitchen if you need us." Toriel said, doing her best to reassure her.

Alphys nodded, but didn't turn to face them, or say anything more in reply. After hesitating for another long moment, Toriel relented and walked with Sans into the kitchen. They ended up in the far corner of the room, near the window where Sans' pet rock sat on the windowsill.

She gave a passing glance at it as she gently released Sans' hand, encouraging him to look at her. He obliged, but the lights in his sockets were still and pale and wavering... ready to vanish again at any moment. It appeared that only now, away from the situation, he was realizing the weight of not only what had happened with Gaster, but with his own actions afterward.

"Sans…" She spoke his name gently, aware that he was, understandably, still quite tense.

She paused a moment before continuing, not at all sure what to say in the wake of all that. This all still felt like some terrible twisted dream. But at this point she knew fairly well how to tell the difference between a true nightmare and reality, as well as how they often bled into one another. And unfortunately, this was as real as all the other challenges they had faced together.

She supposed she could only start with asking him the obvious.

"Are… are you going to be alright?"

It was the type of question they typically agreed to avoid, as its answer was usually obvious. But Sans so rarely fell victim to his anger like this, and she couldn't know for certain if it would drive him into further destructive behavior.

He blinked, his sockets only remaining half opened. She saw his jaw tighten temporarily, as though holding himself back from saying something. But whatever it may have been, it was lost to a shaky sigh that whistled out through his teeth.

"i dunno…" He admitted with a dry, humorless chuckle, dragging a hand over his face again. "guess i really lost my cool in there, huh?"

She gave a single, solemn nod, which proved to be enough for him. His strained grin fell at the edges, and she heard him curse quietly under his breath. Toriel reached out to lay her paw on his shoulder once more, glad that he didn't tense up in response like before. She willed her voice to even and calm, in contrast to her still internally whirling thoughts and emotions.

"I can hardly imagine how you must feel right now." She said softly, before hardening her gaze some. "But even so, you should not have blown up at your brother like that."

He had known it was coming, but he still flinched a bit at the words. A heavy feeling of shame flooded through him, evident in the waves of magic from his soul. His eyelights flickered, but he managed to keep them from going out again.

"i know…" He relented, reaching up lay a hand over hers. "but you know how my bro is… he's going to approach this like its any other person in our lives whose done awful things. but the kids, and asgore. they at least felt remorse and made an effort to change. gaster's done none of that. and he never will."

Those last few words drove him to become tense again, narrowing his sockets and curling his phalanges into a tighter grip on her paw. She was surprised by how sure he sounded about the statement as well. Though she knew this was… a uniquely personal case, Sans typically wasn't the type to say such things. Even if he had serious issues with someone, he usually expressed that he didn't hold serious grudges, and would be content to start over if the person stopped their actions and found peace. That was clearly not the case this time though.

She couldn't ever say his feelings were invalid, and she perhaps understood that bitter anger he was feeling more than most would, even if she had learned to move past much of it herself. But still, she felt the need to question him further on the subject.

"You did tell me once that you knew that… Gaster… did not wish to do what he did to you two back then, but felt it was the only way, did you not?" She asked, recounting the conversation in her head.

He said nothing, and his gaze fell to the floor, so intensely that it felt as though it should sear a hole through it. Toriel quickly continued before he potentially got the wrong idea.

"I am not trying to say you are wrong about what he deserves. The things he did to you and your brother… are utterly inexcusable. I agree with that." She clarified, letting some of her own carefully controlled anger slowly seep into her voice and expression. "And if I were to be left alone with him… and he kept up that attitude he was displaying, I would not be able to fully reassure you that he would escape unscathed. Those who would do such things to children… are the lowest filth one could ever hope to find."

Darker thoughts and feelings attempted to take hold of her then, no doubt fueled by her already unsteady emotional state, but she resolutely warded them off. She needed to be the levelheaded one in this situation, not just for Sans' sake… but his brother's as well.

"However… you must also try and see it from Papyrus' point of view. We have chosen to give second chances to many who have done different… but no less horrific things. He has only ever been reassured that that strategy can pan out. No matter what." She reminded him, shaking her head sadly. "Frisk would... most likely feel the same as he does."

She dreaded when that would come to pass, knowing how her child would likely respond and dedicate themself to doing something about the situation, no matter what she or anyone else said. That determination of theirs was and likely always would be a double edged sword. The question was, when _would_ they find out? There was no doubt that it would be a question of when, not if.

"And you know that… we cannot possibly keep this hidden from the others." She went on, knowing it was necessary to address. "Many of them also suffered because of Gaster at some point. They deserve a chance for closure regarding that as well, do they not?"

As in the past, it seemed her gentle reasonings were getting to him. Though she could sense that part of him wanted to protest, enough of his own rational self had returned that he knew there was nothing to be gained by doing so. He sighed again, sounding far more exhausted than before.

"I know…" He conceded, as a few drops of sweat beaded his skull. "i really… don't know what to do. i don't know what the… heh, "right" thing to do is in a case like this."

He attempted a strained smile as he spoke, but it quickly faded again as the stress of the situation regained its hold on him. Toriel remained steadfast in offering a reply, though she knew she had little to say that would truly comfort him.

"There may not be one." She reasoned softly. "I fear… any choice we make will have its own consequences. That is why I think it is best that we make it a family, with everyone's input, once we have had some time to think about it."

He nodded listlessly, though it seemed to be a subconscious act rather than a sign of true agreement. She felt a harsh shiver through him, and he continued trembling lightly in its wake. She knew he had more to say, so she waited, silently encouraging him through her gaze. When his shaky eyelights managed to meet hers once more, he did gain the will to speak again.

"i just…" He began, before clenching his teeth and tightening his grip on her paw. "i just don't want him to get away with what he did. i know i said before that what happened to him when he fell into the core was punishment enough… but seeing him act like that in there… no guilt for anything that happened, still trying to screw with everyone's heads… it's like… despite everything, he still thinks what he did was justified. he hasn't learned anything."

There was an air of pain and even some level of disappointment to that last part, as though at one point, Sans had at least considered the idea that Gaster's time spent living a shattered existence would lead him to understanding the true evil of his actions. But neither she nor her dear skeleton could truly know what Gaster's time in that state was like, all they could do now was contend with the result. Gaster had come back changed in many ways certainly, but not in the ways that would have truly mattered.

Her own rage at the former royal scientist flared up within her again, and instead of suppressing it entirely, she channeled into something constructive.

"He will not get away with what he did to you or your brother, Sans." She vowed, narrowing her scarlet eyes fiercely. "I will not allow Asgore or anyone else to entertain any sort of scenario in which he is freed or pardoned of his crimes. He has certainly suffered for his actions, but it means nothing if he still has no remorse."

He blinked up at her, looking vaguely surprised for a moment before a shaky, relieved smile appeared on his face and the stiffness gripping him eased off some. His eyelights brightened and focused fully on her for the first time since Alphys' machine had revealed Gaster to them.

"thanks tori." He said, maintaining his weak smile as he wiped some small tears from his sockets with his free hand. "it... means a lot that you understand."

She returned his weak smile, holding his gaze for a few moments before kneeling down and pulling him into a tight hug. He readily returned it, seeming all too grateful to be able to hide away from all this in her embrace, if only for a short while. So she let him have that, resigning to absently stroke his back as she tried to sort out her own chaotic thoughts on the situation. She had little success, but she felt she had managed to guide Sans into a far better state of mind for now. Surely once everyone was back together, they could come up with a more reasonable plan to address the situation.

Quicker than she expected though, she heard him sigh and shift a bit in her arms.

"what about you tori?" He asked, moving to rest his hand near her middle. "you doing okay after... all that?"

She managed a small smile at that, and lightly nuzzled his cheekbone.

"Yes, _we_ are fine." She confirmed, emphasizing the word. "As much as we can be at least. Just… perhaps a bit more affected than I would be otherwise."

Sans gave another hollow chuckle at that, running his hand slowly up and down her side for a few moments before letting it fall.

"pretty pathetic for me, huh?" He rasped out in a quieter tone. "you're preggers and still handling all this leagues better than i am."

She shook her head, making the motion slow so he could detect it.

"Do not be so hard on yourself." She said, her eyes becoming heavy with sympathy. "You have far more reason to despise the monster in there and be worked up over this than I do. Plus I… have unfortunately had a lot of experience dealing with such emotions. And we all know it took me quite some time to learn to do that properly."

Sans managed another empty chuckle at that, but stayed quiet as she reached up to stroke the back of his neck vertebrae.

"We will figure this out Sans, like we have everything else." She assured him. "I promise."

He was quiet, just remaining still and somewhat limp in her arms. Then he pressed closer and returned the hug properly again for a few moments. Only then did he eventually release her and step back. He looked utterly drained and exhausted, but the intense anger that had consumed him had been quelled. It would be back, she was sure of it, but for now it was enough.

"yeah… thanks t. really." He said, voice genuine beneath the weariness.

He rubbed his sockets with the heel of his hands and let out another heavy sigh, then reached out to take her paw.

"c'mon, we shouldn't leave al alone…" He said, making what meager effort he could to help her to her feet.

It wasn't needed, but they both knew that. It was more the thought that was a comfort than anything. Once she was up, they both returned to the living room. Sans kept his grip on her paw all the while, and he was happy to allow it.

They found Alphys where they had left her, sitting on the couch with a far off look in her eyes, no doubt overwhelmed by all that had just happened. Just from the look on her face, Toriel could tell that the lizard monster hadn't made any headway in forming an opinion on what should be done with Gaster either. Alphys jumped a bit as they neared her, then gave them both a nervous, unsteady smile.

Aside from confirming their initials suspicions, they all found there was little to say, and simply took to joining her there on the couch. When it became obvious Papyrus wasn't going to be back for some time, Toriel ended up leaving Sans and Alphys to prepare some tea. She herself would abstain for the baby's sake, but hopefully it would at least be something for the two former labmates to think about other than the looming shadow of the ghoulish monster in the spare room.

By the time she returned to the living room with the tray though, she could hear the two quietly speaking. She decided to pause there in the doorway, as not to disturb them. After all, it was the first she'd heard either of them say a word for quite some time. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but her large had a tendency to pick up on even the softest of whispered conversations.

"say al…" She heard Sans say, and saw that he had shifted a little closer to her.

"Y-yeah?" The lizard monster stuttered a reply, picking absently at the scales on her tail.

"you never mentioned what sort of dream you had about ol g before all this." He paused, and Toriel saw him shift to sit cross-legged. "we heard everyone else's… you don't gotta tell me if you'd rather not of course. but thought it'd be worth asking."

There was a long pause, and Alphys' breathing became uneven. Toriel moved to stand with her back against the kitchen wall, feeling she should give them space for the moment. As she did though, she began to suspect Alphys wouldn't reply, but the lizard monster pushed through whatever was holding her back.

"My dr-dream was the same as all of you guys. I saw Dr. G-Gaster looking distorted and well… melty, similar to how the Amalgamates looked when they first began to… succumb to the effects of the DT. But the dream took place during the time when…"

Alphys' words trailed off briefly, and her voice shook more openly when she spoke again.

"D-during… the C-CORE meltdown." She croaked. "W-when our l-lab group all g-got…"

Again, she fell silent, but that last word didn't need to be spoken. They all knew.

"oh…" Was all Sans seemed to say in reply.

The two grew quiet again, and Toriel almost stepped out once more, but then Sans spoke up again, and the words sent a sharp pang through her soul.

"do you… still have your photo album?" He asked. "y'know, our… goodbye presents?"

"Y-Yeah, I do." She replied, sounding a touch surprised by the question. "B-But I find it's really hard to make m-myself open it nowadays. I c-can't help but think about h-how they… they died down th-there without g-getting to see the surface."

Sans said nothing in reply, only made a soft sound of acknowledgement. But even in that, Toriel could hear the pain he still carried over the event.

"A-and it w-was _his_ fault that wh-whole thing happened, w-wasn't it?" Alphys went on, stress and a touch of her own anger leaking into her voice. "He c-caused Papyrus to fire th-that attack into the energy f-field and…"

Her voice caught in her throat, and her next breath could only escape her as a small, shaky sob.

"S-Sans… i'm so sorry I d-didn't believe you b-back then ab-bout all this." She lamented tearfully. "I w-was such a horrible fr-friend."

There was a soft sound then as Sans moved closer to her, barely audible as his light frame hardly weighed on the couch springs. Alphys' shift was much louder, and from the way her quiet sniffles became muffled, she knew the two must have embraced.

"its alright al, it's in the past now." Sans soothed, though his voice was heavy with weariness. "you're far from the only one he back then manipulated after all."

Once those words had left him, an enduring silence followed, and Toriel knew it was time for her to enter. If only to drop off their tea before letting them truly have some time alone.

She walked into the room and set the tray of teacups down on the coffee table in front of them carefully as to not make too much noise. She shared a brief glance with her dear skeleton, and an understanding passed between them without words. Toriel left the two in peace for a while, deciding to go wait out on the porch and keep an eye out for Papyrus' return. And hopefully… try and wrap her head around what on earth they were to do about all this.

...

Some time later, when the sun was just reaching its highest point in the sky, Alphys was preparing to leave. Papyrus had not yet returned, and she would have worried, but he did send a text upon request simply stating he'd bumped into a friend while out and about and would come home soon.

There was still the nagging sense in the back of her mind that drove her to stress over it a little bit, but the picture he sent of him and Kid posing happily together in the park soon after quieted much of it. Kid likely was unaware of just how much their running into Papyrus at this time meant to the skeleton, especially right now.

Alphys had no such pick me up, at least until she got home to her girlfriend most likely. Toriel was surprised the fish monster had not come running to pick up her up just from impatience

by now. It was no mystery though, why Alphys preferred to walk home. It wasn't far… and she still had a lot to think about. They all did.

"S-Sans, are you really g-going to be okay?" Alphys asked, tapping her claws together anxiously. Y'know… with _him_ here?"

She nodded in the direction of the guest room inside, where Gaster remained trapped. There was a notable pause before Sans replied, but once he did, he gave Alphys a reassuring wink.

"it'll be fine. i'll be sure to read your notes." He said, smiling fairly strongly at first, but unable to maintain it for very long. "and like you said. he's no threat, even if he wasn't all caged up. no telling how long he'll even last anyway."

Alphys grimaced a bit, but nodded listlessly in agreement. She swallowed hard in the resulting silence and made a vain attempt to change the subject, if only slightly.

"I'll… uh... try and t-take a look at Flowey sometime this week while h-he's staying with us. If h-he'll let me..." She said, looking up at Toriel in particular before lowering her gaze again. "And… I'll k-keep all this to myself for now… until you and Papyrus d-decide what you want to do. Just keep me u-updated…"

One of Sans' hands tightened over something in his pocket, and he looked like he was contemplating saying more, but only one soft word left him.

"yeah." He agreed quietly, briefly letting both his sockets fall shut. "i'll text you soon al…"

Toriel waited a moment, seeing if there was anything else he would say, but when his silence proved enduring, she turned to Alphys herself.

"Farewell, my friend." She said, inclining her head a bit towards her. "Thank you again for… for discovering what was going on. And for acting so quickly."

Alphys' cheeks colored a bit and she gave a short, nervous laugh.

"N-no problem. I'm j-just… glad he was caught before h-he tried anything…" She said, her voice and expression sobering up again as she turned to head down the porch stairs. "S-See you later then."

With that, Alphys began down the path away from their home, heading towards the park that served as an in between for their home and her own. As she did, she pulled out her phone and her big pink headset earphones and kept her gait slow. Clearly, she was in no hurry to get back with so much weighing on her mind. Toriel watched her go for a few more moments before letting out a soft sigh and gently touching Sans' shoulder.

It was a silent request for them to both go inside, rather than linger out here to escape thinking about the dark invader of their life that now dwelled just in the other room. He hesitated, but inevitably allowed her guide him away from the porch. Though before they went inside, both of them caught the other searching the surrounding roads and horizon for signs of a certain other skeleton who had still not returned.

It was perhaps a bit worrisome, but Papyrus had already provided a reason for his absence. Concern over him still sent unease through her soul, but she willed herself not to worry. Not yet anyway. Still, she hoped he would return soon. Making any sort of decision of how to move forward in this situation without him wouldn't be right.

Still, in the quiet that followed her and Sans shutting the door behind them, she knew she had to ask something. And there was one burning question on her mind.

"What to do now?" She asked him softly, looking down at him.

Sans seemed prepared for the question, giving a weary chuckle before giving his answer. As he did, she saw the anger once again surface in him, making his eyelights burn brighter.

"first, i'm gonna pop over to grillby's and get a drink. just one." He said, holding up a single phalange. "then, i'm gonna go back in there and tell ol g he's staying locked up in that thing for the time being."

He continued to stand there confidently for a moment, before letting his finger and then his arm in general fall to his side.

"haven't really thought of what comes after that." He admitted with a shrug, slipping his hands back into his pockets.

Toriel frowned, not exactly thrilled with his plan. If anything, alcohol was only going to make this situation worse. Though admittedly, she could hardly blame him for turning to that option. In the wake of all this... She supposed if he stuck to his vow of just one drink, it would be fine. But she wasn't exactly fully confident he'd adhere to that.

But it wasn't just the drinking she was worried about. As much as she felt she knew Sans now… she knew that any further encounter with Gaster would bring out that darker side of him once again. If left alone with his father, the source of so much of his long term suffering… what would happen? And would it be right… or wrong of her to get in the way of it? She was sure everyone in their family would have a different answer.

But for now, she conceded that this was _his_ father he was dealing with, along with the abuse he's suffered at said father's hands. She couldn't make his choices for him, nor pretend to fully understand just what he must be feeling.

"I see..." Was all Toriel said in reply, unease pricking at her voice. "When you speak to him again… would you like to do it alone?"

Part of her hoped he would say no, and assuage her fears of another, far more intense confrontation. But deep down, she knew what his answer would be long before he silently nodded.

"i think that's for the best." He said coldly, before looking up at her and softening his tone some. "i promise i… i won't do anything… stupid."

Somehow, she found that she trusted he'd hold true to that vow far more than the earlier one. Though only time would tell if it could be maintained when he was actually alone with his father in that room...

Sans took a step towards the door, despite obviously preparing to take a shortcut to Grillby's. The air around him became charged with magic, but before he could execute the shortcut, he paused with his back to her.

"and tori?" He asked, voice low and eerily calm.

"Yes, my dear?"

"if you'll do me a favor, while i'm gone…"

He turned his head to look at her enough that she could see the telltale flash of blue and yellow coming from his left socket.

"keep my brother _away_ from that bastard."

Then he vanished in a brief, bright flash, leaving Toriel simply staring uneasily at the spot he had been. She didn't move for a while, trying in vain to decide what to do. Being alone in the house with… _him_ … was more than a little unsettling.

She supposed all there was to do was to wait for Papyrus to return, but there was no real telling when that would be. And honestly, she wasn't sure she could make herself just sit around or busy herself with mindless cleaning at the moment. Not with the knowledge that such a dark figure from the past was currently just sitting in her guestroom.

After debating with herself in the silence that followed Sans' leaving, she eventually came to a decision. The only one that had any chance of quieting the storm of questions and anger brewing within her. She'd take this opportunity to confront Gaster herself. It would have to be brief… but it may be her only opportunity to do so alone. Sans may not be entirely happy with her doing so, but she had her own personal reasons to enter that room again.

Growing more emboldened towards her choice, she slipped her phone into her jacket pocket with the ringer on full and started to make her way towards the hallway.

After all, she had only been requested to keep Papyrus away from Gaster. Sans had said nothing about _her_ speaking to him.

And she had plenty of things to say to her former royal scientist.


	13. Circles

In that moment, opening the door to her own guest room felt like opening the door to the castle dungeons back in the Underground. And perhaps in this case, the comparison was apt. She half expected to hear the shriek of old metal hinges as she slowly eased the door open.

The room inside was still dark, though much of that darkness looked to be trapped beneath the glass dome with Gaster. It seemed drawn to him, and appeared to erratically swirl around his amorphous form.

As she took her first step inside, the ghoulish monster's head snapped up, sockets wide and smile wider. His eyelights flickered rapidly for a moment, then faded back into nothingness as Gaster's expression softened. He said nothing as she shut the door behind her, simply regarding her with a mild curiosity. Though with the eerie state of his face, it was near impossible to know with certainty what emotions currently stirred within him.

"Greetings… Wingdings." Toriel said after the silence from Gaster endured.

Gaster tilted his head a bit and chuckled softly, enough to make a little more of that black fluid spill out from his mouth.

"AH, HAVE YOU COME BACK ALONE TORIEL?" He rasped, slowly moving his blob-like form closer to her side of the glass. "ARE MY CHILDREN TOO COWARDLY TO DELIVER ME THE NEWS OF WHAT MY FATE SHALL BE THEMSELVES?"

Toriel swallowed hard, but held his gaze, not to be moved by his inflammatory words.

"No decision has been made yet." She said flatly, crossing her paws neatly in front of her. "That will come later. For now, I wished to speak to you alone."

Gaster tilted his head once again, past the point one would expect a monster like him could do so naturally. As he did, he hummed thoughtfully.

"HOW INTERESTING…" He mused, as his skull slowly rotated back into place. "WELL, I SUPPOSE YOU WOULD HAVE MUCH UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH ME, BEING THE RUNAWAY TRAITOR THAT YOU ARE."

A twinge of anger flickered through her at his words, not expecting them when his tone was so matter of fact. But she cleared her throat and refocused, resolving not to let him get under her skin. That was exactly what he wanted, after all. It was his only real weapon against her.

"This isn't about me, Wingdings. This is about what you did in my absence. The… horrific atrocities you committed in secret right under Asgore's nose." She said, utilizing her serious royal tone of voice.

Gaster chuckled hoarsely, reaching up with one of his malformed hands to wipe away some of the black fluid trailing from his mouth. His hazy eyelights reappeared then, intensely fixating upon her.

"AND WHOSE FAULT IS IT THAT I WAS LEFT SO UNSUPERVISED? WITH ONLY THE SOFT HEARTED, NAIVE KING TO OVERSEE MY ACTIVITIES?" He asked, quirking the brow ridge of his good socket. "REALLY TORIEL, WE COULD GO IN CIRCLES ABOUT THIS ALL DAY."

Toriel narrowed her eyes a bit, but did not visibly react to his words beyond that. She replied without missing a beat, taking a step closer to the glass.

"My leaving the throne was no excuse for you to do such vile things." She said, contempt burning in her scarlet eyes. "You are only suggesting the urge to commit such evil was in you all along, and my departure was simply the chance you leapt upon."

Again, Gaster met her words with a chuckle, settling his liquid-like form back in a relaxed pose.

"A CLEVER OBSERVATION, BUT STILL WOEFULLY MISGUIDED." He replied, gesturing as he spoke with both floating hands. "I ONLY DID WHAT THE HUMANS, AND _YOUR_ PATHETIC COWARDICE, DEMANDED OF ME. IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT IT REQUIRED THE SUFFERING OF A FEW INDIVIDUALS, BUT IF MONSTERS AS A WHOLE WERE TO SURVIVE, CHOICES HAD TO BE MADE. I CHOSE MY OWN KIND, A WITHERING KINGDOM OF KIND AND GENTLE SOULS, OVER THOSE VILE HUMANS WHO CAGED US BENEATH THE EARTH. IT WAS THE ONLY REASONABLE CHOICE."

Something in his gaze shifted then, and she found the loathing that flared to life in his unsteady eyelights suddenly matched her own. Like looking into a dark, twisted mirror.

"SOMETHING A TRAITOROUS WRETCH LIKE YOU WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND."

The aura beneath the dome shifted then, becoming briefly more oppressive as black tendrils once again rose from Gaster's form and curled against the glass. It was moments like this where Gaster's mask of composure slipped, and she could see the decades long stewing rage simmering behind his eyelights. Well, the feeling was more than mutual now. She had no reason to feel intimidated.

"So you truly have not changed your stance on that, even now?" She asked, purposefully ignoring the point about herself and focusing on what he'd said previously. "Even after it was a human child, _not_ your wicked experiments, that eventually led monsterkind to freedom?"

The question from her seemed to return his levelheadedness, and the dark tendrils slowly receded. Though he did shake with a few heavy coughs before offering a reply.

"TORIEL, TORIEL, DENIAL IS A POOR LOOK ON YOU." He rasped, wiping at his mouth again and flicking away the black fluid. "WE BOTH KNOW THAT YOUR SO CALLED "PACIFIST" HUMAN CHILD INDULGED IN THEIR BASE HUMAN NATURE FOR BLOODSHED PLENTY OF TIMES BEFORE THEY DECIDED ON THEIR CURRENT PATH."

That did make Toriel flinch a bit, and she could tell that he noticed that moment of weakness, as a dark glee flashed in the lights of his eyes.

"MONSTERKIND'S SO CALLED AMBASSADOR HAS MORE DUST ON THEIR HANDS THEN MOST COULD IMAGINE. YOUR CHILD IS FAR FROM AN EXEMPTION TO THE RULE."

His sockets narrowed slightly in thought, and his twisted smile grew wider. The action caused yet more black fluid to leak from his mouth. It looked just a little too much like darkly colored blood, and Toriel had to suppress a shudder.

"THOUGH I SUPPOSE IT WAS _BOTH_ OF YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE HUMANS WHO ENDED UP GOING DOWN THAT PATH, ISN'T THAT RIGHT?" He asked, inching closer to the glass with the last few words.

Toriel didn't have a quick response prepared for that. She had to admit… her children's actions were incredibly difficult to defend. Their direct family that knew of their transgressions had chosen to forgive them and leave those dark timelines behind. But Gaster was someone who would certainly not be quick to forget, and had no reason to attempt to understand what had driven her children to walk that terrible path.

No matter what she said, it would sound like an excuse. And Gaster would never be persuaded, no matter how good an argument she offered in rebuttal. She cared nothing for his opinion, but she didn't want him to get the idea that he got to claim any sort of moral superiority or dodge his own guilt by playing this game of comparing blame.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, tasting hot embers on her tongue as she did so. Her face managed to regain its steely seriousness, and she determinedly met Gaster's unsettling gaze once more.

"My children did some truly terrible things, yes. They all did. I will not deny that." She admitted, unflinchingly. "But in the end, they were traumatized children given power over everything they saw, who went down those dark paths with at least some modicum of noble intent. They are deeply remorseful, and I know they would never repeat such actions now that they understand the full weight of what they had done. Frisk has sworn to never use their power to RESET again, and I believe them."

Her eyes narrowed and she jabbed a clawed finger in his direction, the tip of it just barely avoiding touching the glass.

" _You_ however, had no such excuse when you decided to treat your own children like lab rats. Subjecting them to abuse so horrific, I could hardly bear to hear of it. Not to mention all those prisoners, street children, and desperately sick and injured monsters you illegally experimented on, and in many cases… killed."

Gaster's expression did shift at that, but she got the sinking feeling it was more so out of disappointment that he hadn't managed to sufficiently rattle her to his liking, rather than the remark getting under his skin. But the moment passed quickly, and he was soon smiling at her as though the conversation at hand were as casual as one regarding the recent weather.

"TORIEL, THE MORE WICKED YOU TRY AND MAKE ME LOOK, THE MORE AMUSING IT IS." He said, eye sockets crinkling a bit at the edges. "BUT I WILL HUMOR YOU."

A few harsh coughs briefly halted his efforts to finish speaking, but he cleared his figurative throat again before long and continued. As he did, he took on a tone that sounded more familiar to her, a touch of his once usual cold seriousness seeping through to overpower all the arrogant sarcasm.

"YOU WANT SO BADLY TO MAKE ME FEEL GUILT FOR MY ACTIONS. WHEN IN REALITY, I ONLY DID WHAT WAS BEST FOR MONSTERKIND AS A WHOLE. A CONCLUSION I CAME TO AFTER WEIGHING ALL THE OPTIONS QUITE CAREFULLY." He said, folding his floating hands together and gesturing as though giving one of his professional lectures.

I DID NOT SEEK OUT OPTIONS THAT WOULD INVOLVE HARMING SUBJECTS TO BEGIN WITH. THAT WAS NEVER THE GOAL. BUT THERE WAS SIMPLY NO OTHER REASONABLE OR EFFICIENT WAY TO PURSUE THE NECESSARY RESEARCH IN THE CURRENT SITUATION. IT WAS EITHER CREATE MONSTERS WHO COULD ONE DAY OPPOSE HUMANITY THROUGH THE NECESSARY SCIENTIFIC PROCESSES, RISKING ONLY TWO MONSTERS CREATED FOR THIS PURPOSE… AS WELL AS A HANDFUL OF THE WORST AND MOST DISPOSABLE THAT OUR KINGDOM HAS TO OFFER… ON TOP OF THE REQUIRED HUMAN SOULS OF COURSE."

He moved one of his hands through the air in a grand sweeping gesture.

"OR, _ALL_ OF MONSTERKIND DIES A SLOW MISERABLE DEATH, ONE BY ONE, UNTIL WE ALL WITHER AWAY TO NOTHING BENEATH THE MOUNTAIN THE HUMANS SEALED US BENEATH."

He let the words hang, and the air grew heavy with the growing tension. It was so thick, Toriel felt as though it was becoming more difficult to breathe. She opened her mouth, intending to offer a retort, but no sound came out. Gaster's ghoulish grin widened, and he didn't waste a moment in continuing.

"I MADE MY CHOICE, I WASN'T GOING TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. NO MATTER WHAT IT TOOK." He declared, drawing himself up as much as his current form would allow, rising closer to Toriel's eye level.

"BUT YOU WERE FAR TOO COWARDLY TO FACE THAT REALITY. HAD _YOUR_ PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A PLAN SUCCEEDED, ALL OF MONSTERKIND COULD VERY WELL HAVE PERISHED. JUST FOR THE SAKE OF SOME VILE, UNWANTED HUMAN CHILDREN. THE VERY CREATURES THAT MASSACRED US AND SEALED US AWAY IN THE FIRST PLACE."

He leaned closer to the glass, expression becoming more twisted between gleeful mocking, and deep, burning scorn. More dark fluid spilled from his mouth and sockets as well, as though allowing his emotions to show through strongly was literally tearing him apart from the inside out.

"WOULD THAT TRADE OFF HAVE BEEN WORTH IT?" He asked, spattering the glass with flecks of black as he spoke. "ARE YOUR ACTIONS TRULY MORE MORAL THAN MY OWN, TORIEL? WHO WOULD HONESTLY END UP WITH MORE VICTIMS TO THEIR NAME AT THE END?"

Another onset of violent coughs forced him to turn away then, shuddering as they shook through him. It lessened the dramatic impact of that final question somewhat, but Toriel had become hardened against his efforts to try and turn this back on her. And his defense was truly abhorrent and laughable no matter how confidently he offered it up.

She waited for the coughing to stop before she spoke again, unable to keep from wondering how long Gaster could keep this up. She had much more she wanted to say, but she also didn't want to drive the ghoulish monster to an early grave before those hurt by Gaster could find closure. But even after his pitiful display, he was still grinning wildly at her, so she didn't hesitate.

"You can keep trying to spin this in your favor all you want, but if your effort is to torment me into leaving or losing focus, you are failing at every turn." She said, narrowing her eyes fiercely. "Everything that you are insinuating are things I have asked myself a million times over, and have already come to terms with. I am well aware that my actions were not without consequence, and that I have my own guilt to bear for the terrible events of the past. You are quite late to the conversation if you think you are adding anything new."

She crossed her arms, glaring down at Gaster as she would have had she been saying these things from her old throne's pedestal rather than her spare bedroom.

"And you seem to keep forgetting that the intention of this conversation was to discuss _your_ actions. Not my own."

A weak, rattling laugh was all the response she got for a moment, as Gaster remained hunched over. But then after a few more labored breaths, he turned his skull to look at her. The stark white of it was now stained with tracks of splotchy black all down his face. It seemed every fit left him in a more haggard state then before. In regards to both his body and soul.

"RUNNING AWAY AS USUAL I SEE." He croaked, in a quieter voice than before. "BUT VERY WELL, I'LL PLAY ALONG. IF ONLY TO END THIS MORE QUICKLY AND AVOID TURNING TO DUST JUST YET. I FIGURE THAT WOULD MAKE THINGS RATHER COMPLICATED FOR YOU."

Toriel just scoffed under her breath at that and rolled her eyes. She looked away from him for a moment, trying to reign in her thoughts and decide what to ask next. There were a plethora of options, too many to count, but she figured she'd start with what currently was still burning at the forefront of her mind.

"Do you truly feel nothing for your sons?" She asked in a low tone. "There is no part of you that regrets the trauma and misery you have inflicted upon them?"

That actually seem to give Gaster some pause, though if it truly was out of guilt or simply mild consideration of the question, she didn't know. And even if she could know, she wasn't fully sure would want to…

After a moment though, Gaster was back to smiling that wide, unsettling smile of his.

"IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT THEY HAD TO TRY AND LIVE NORMAL LIVES IN THE WAKE OF MY ACCIDENT. THAT WAS NEVER THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE." He said, dodging the question altogether. "BUT BEYOND THAT, I HAVE MADE CLEAR THAT I FEEL THE ENDS JUSTIFIED THE MEANS. EVEN IF IT DIDN'T COME TO PASS AS PLANNED."

A growl of frustration and building anger threatened to escape her then, but she managed to maintain her level head. She knew pressing that particular question would simply lead to more non-answers. Whether he harbored any guilt for the situation or not, he certainly wouldn't admit it, and it was nowhere near the level Sans and Papyrus deserved.

So though her inner fire blazed, she let the question go for the moment, and put forth a different one. One that had been picking at her thoughts for some time, long before Gaster decided to make himself known once more.

"Is it…" She began in a somewhat unsteady tone, but cleared her throat and hardened it again before continuing. "Is it true you made Sans and Papyrus… for my ex husband's sake?"

Again, she saw some small flash of… something… pass over Gaster's flickery eyelights. But whatever it was was gone even quicker than the first time. Something about it lingered though, and caused Gaster's true voice behind the glass to soften by degrees.

"ONLY PARTIALLY." He clarified, waving a hand dismissively. "THEIR GREATER PURPOSE, ONCE FINALIZED, WAS TO BE THE WEAPONS THAT COULD OPPOSE HUMANITY, ONCE WE REACHED THE SURFACE."

He tapped his twisted phalanges together in thought, clearly trying to decide how much he wanted to give away to her. Gaster may deny it, but his current poor state of being was getting to him, steadily draining away his attempts at quick wittedness. But he pushed through regardless.

"BUT YES, I DID INTEND FOR THEM TO ALSO RELIEVE THE KING OF THE GRISLY DUTY OF EXECUTION." He conceded, voice softening a bit once more. "HE WAS ALWAYS A GENTLE SOUL, BUT WILLING TO DO WHAT WAS NECESSARY. I COULD SEE HOW IT WAS DESTROYING HIM THOUGH, SO I MADE IT A SECONDARY GOAL OF MINE TO FREE HIM OF… DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE HUMANS SET TO BE HARVESTED."

Finally there was a hint of something resembling compassion in his voice, but it certainly wasn't for his children. It somehow only made Toriel feel even more sickened by him then before. If he were a totally unfeeling beast, that would be one thing, but the fact he was capable of caring for others on some level only made his depraved acts all the more horrific.

Another hot wave of anger washed over her, and she couldn't keep a few small curls of smoke from escaping through her teeth as she spoke again.

"Did you… harm the souls of the human children?" She asked, voice low with rage. "Did you cause them further suffering even after they had been killed?"

She wasn't sure if she felt relieved or further sickened that he chuckled hoarsely as if her question were the more ridiculous thing ever.

"NOW TORIEL, WHAT SORT OF SCIENTIST DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?" He asked, quirking the brow ridge over his good socket. "I MAY DESPISE HUMANITY, BUT I WOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY DAMAGE SUCH IMPORTANT SPECIMENS. NOT WHEN THEY WERE SO VITALLY IMPORTANT TO MONSTERKIND'S FREEDOM. I MERELY EXTRACTED SAMPLES OF THEIR ESSENCES, AND THEIR DETERMINATION, AS WELL AS STUDIED THEIR ENERGY OUTPUTS. NOTHING BEYOND THAT. MOST OF THE TIME, THEY REMAINED UNTOUCHED IN CAREFUL STORAGE"

She narrowed her eyes at the former royal scientist, not sure if she should dare to take him at his word or not. Sans had once assured her that Gaster wouldn't have harmed the souls of the humans she once cared for, if only for the value they had, but not even he had sounded fully confident in that moment. Whatever the case, the faces of those innocent children rose up in her mind, and her anger only burned hotter within her.

He seemed to read the mix of emotions on her face, and he let out a scoff full of contempt. His expression shifted then to something darker once more. A darkness she recognized even from her oldest memories of the skeleton before her.

"YOU REALLY STILL MOURN THOSE WRETCHED LITTLE THINGS?" He asked, shaking his head like a parent disappointed in their child.

He didn't allow her any time to answer, instead pressing on with more open anger visible on his twisted features.

"ARE YOU REALLY SO FOOLISH TO BELIEVE THAT THE HUMANS WILL EVER TRULY ACCEPT MONSTERS, TORIEL?" He asked, tone dripping with scorn. "HUMANS ARE THE MOST VILE OF CREATURES. CREATURES WHO CANNOT EVEN GET ALONG WITH THEIR OWN KIND. THEY WILL DESPISE AND MURDER ONE ANOTHER OVER FACTORS AS MINOR AS THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, OR THE GENDER OF THEIR CHOSEN PARTNER."

A shudder ran through his blob like form, fueled by a hatred that made his flickering eyelights burn bright.

"AND YOU ARE SUGGESTING THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO LIVE PEACEFULLY WITH BEINGS AS VARIED AND DIFFERENT FROM THEM AS US? OH TORIEL. FOR ALL YOUR WISDOM, YOU ARE STILL SO INCREDIBLY NAIVE."

Toriel rolled her eyes at that, now quite confident in shooting down his point. She'd had this argument a hundred times over. Both with him back in the days he'd served as her royal scientist, and with plenty of other monsters who'd shared his sentiments. Before and after the war.

"If I am naive, Wingdings, then you are equally ignorant." She said with a huff. "There have been struggles with integration with the humans, there is no doubt about that. And I fear it will be many generations before those struggles are truly resolved. But humans are just as capable of great good as they are of great evil. For every one human who makes a point of demonizing us, there are a hundred more working to understand us, and accept us into their communities."

She laid a paw over her chest, above where her soul resided beneath. Memories rose up to the forefront of her mind, many of them ancient, but still able to stir powerful emotions in her all the same.

"I grew up with a human who was practically a second mother to me, who fought and died on our side of the war. I cared for each of the human children who fell into the Underground. I have befriended and made positive connections with countless humans since arriving on the surface, and still hold positive memories of those I was friends with before the war."

"Like _Adean?_ " Gaster cut in, a deep malice dripping from the name as he spoke it.

That caused her mouth to snap shut, and the image of the former human prince to dominate her thoughts. Both their younger self, who'd been her first real friend, and the older image of them she'd seen wandering the grounds of her family's castle.

Even now, thinking of their horrific betrayal stung. Finding their gravesite and speaking to them there had given her some peace on the matter, but there was no denying the dark depravity the prince of humans had eventually set upon the world. She and Gaster both would likely know that better than anyone.

She looked at the twisted form of Wingdings in front of her as though seeing him again for the first time, as if he were just another spirit she was speaking to in order to put her own baggage to rest. But the moment passed rapidly, and she was flooded with contempt once more.

"One individual fallen from grace does not serve to reflect a whole species." She said bluntly. "We should be grateful for that, especially considering _your_ existence. Painting these situations as black and white is the easy and cowardly answer. I would think a scientist of all monsters would know that."

That last comment actually seemed to get to him a bit, as Gaster's good socket narrowed up at her. She took that as motivation to keep speaking, her confidence boosted alongside her anger at what she intended to bring up next.

"Humans and monsters are both equally flawed creatures, despite what your textbooks and learning material was meant to lead monsters to believe." She declared in an accusatory tone.

Gaster blinked slowly at that, his good socket doing so faster than the one stuck half closed. The looks of deep thought and annoyance that shown in his eyelights told her all she needed to know.

"Oh yes, I saw what you and Asgore had been teaching in the schools in the Underground. All the hateful propaganda you drilled into a generation of monsters' heads in my absence. Feeding them lies about human's capacity of compassion, encouraging them to be _excited_ for their king to commit mass genocide upon an entire species. I know it was you who wrote all that, don't try to deny it."

Silence followed her words, apart from her oddly labored breaths. She suddenly felt like she'd run a marathon, but she kept her gaze locked to his sockets, demanding a response. But Gaster didn't offer a snappy comeback right away. Instead, his flickery eyelights seemed to go fuzzy, as though he were lost in thought, or old memories. Wholly unpleasant ones if the emotions she could glean from his expression were anything to go by. Black fluid continued to seep ceaselessly from his mouth and sockets in the silence, perhaps more so as he temporality spaced out.

But then a jolt seemed to run through his whole form, causing it to distort briefly. Then he quickly snapped back to how he'd been acting before, as though the momentary lapse hadn't happened at all.

"ALRIGHT… THEN I WON'T." He finally replied, coughing a few times and wiping his mouth before continuing. "WHAT IS THERE TO DENY? MONSTERS WERE BETTER OFF SEEING HUMANS AS EVIL BEINGS THAT THE WORLD WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT. IF LEFT TO FEEL CONFLICTED ABOUT THEIR ONE CHANCE OF FREEDOM AND PEACE, IT WOULD HAVE ONLY LED TO MORE OF THEM FALLING DOWN. I DID WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO PRESERVE THEIR LIVES."

He then yawned and rested his skull on one of his floating hands with a wheezy sort of sigh, as though utterly bored.

"IF YOU ONLY INTEND TO FURTHER LIST OUT MY PAST "CRIMES" IN ORDER TO TRY AND ELICIT GUILT IN ME, YOU ARE WASTING YOUR BREATH. AND _ESPECIALLY_ MINE." He said, pausing for another cough before continuing. "SURELY… IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TALKING, THERE ARE FAR MORE COMPELLING TOPICS WORTH DISCUSSING, YES?"

He ended the question with a truly wicked smile, as his unsteady eyelights drifted down until they focused on her middle. A chill that was somehow both hot and cold ran down her spine, and she growled low in her throat as she took a step back by instinct.

"I FEEL WE HAVE IGNORED THE MOST INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT WORTHY OF DISCUSSION QUITE LONG ENOUGH." Gaster crooned, growing emboldened once more by her reaction. "YOU ARE CARRYING… QUITE THE FASCINATING LITTLE ABOMINATION, AREN'T YOU? A TRUE AFFRONT TO EVERYTHING BOSS MONSTERS ONCE STOOD FOR. I MUST ADMIT, FOR ALL MY THEORIES ON WHAT YOU MAY DO UPON ABANDONING YOUR THRONE, I NEVER EXPECTED YOU TO FALL AS LOW AS THIS."

Toriel curled an arm around her stomach, extending her claws and just barely able to resist the urge to openly bare her fangs at him. Only the knowledge that he likely _wanted_ to see her so worked up like that kept it at bay.

" _That_ is none of your concern." She snarled, low and cold. "And those useless ancient traditions are far better off broken and forgotten. They did nothing but divide us, and have no place in our modern world."

It felt good to say all that, having once long ago wished for the opportunity to "dunk on" the longstanding royal traditions, as Sans would say. But her words could have hardly fallen on more deaf ears. The ghoulish monster regarded her with only dark amusement and wheezed out a chuckle at her expense, causing yet more black fluid to run down from his mouth.

"SOMEHOW, IT SEEMS DISTURBINGLY POETIC." He rasped, shaking his head slowly. "THAT THE TRAITOROUS RUNAWAY QUEEN SHOULD SOMEHOW FALL FOR THE ROGUE DEFECTIVE PROTOTYPE WEAPON. YOU WENT FROM BEING ONE OF OUR RULERS, HALF OF THE DIARCHY OF AN ENTIRE NATION, TO LYING WITH A BEING THAT WAS CREATED TO BE ENTIRELY DISPOSABLE."

He quirked a brow ridge at her, another mocking croak of a laugh escaping him.

'WHAT TORIEL… COULD YOU REALLY FIND NO ONE BETTER TO FREE YOU FROM YOUR OH SO TERRIBLE IMMORTALITY?" He jeered, before he narrowed his sockets again. "IMMORTALITY THAT WAS _WASTED_ ON YOU TO BEGIN WITH?"

He drew back a bit from the glass then, not even bothering to pay her reaction to his words any mind. He drummed his gnarled phalanges against the bottom of his skull, eyelights hazy with thought. Toriel felt another small plume of smoke escape her nostrils, but she said nothing. Her burning inner anger, however he chose to ignore it, was answer enough.

"I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT A MESS OF A MONSTER THE TWO OF YOU WOULD CREATE. COMBINING THE MAGIC OF AN ALL POWERFUL BOSS MONSTER AND A TRULY PITIFUL EXCUSE FOR A SKELETON WHO BARELY SURVIVED THE PROCESS OF HIS OWN CREATION."

Gaster seemed almost morbidly interested in the idea, and he briefly pinned her with a chilling look, as though she and her unborn child were some bizarre specimens to be studied. His manic smile twitched as it grew wider, splitting across his face like a great bleeding wound.

"A BOSS MONSTER HAVING A CHILD OUTSIDE THEIR OWN KIND IS ALREADY UNPRECEDENTED ENOUGH. THAT IS, IF THE LITTLE ABOMINATION SURVIVES AT ALL."

With those words, Toriel finally felt her composure snap and give way. Hearing this vile monster, with a known history of unspeakable evil towards children, speak about her developing child that way. It was enough for the blaze burning within her to surge forth.

" _Enough!_ " She snarled, hot purple flames erupting to life around her paws and bursting out from between her teeth.

The reaction was dramatic enough that Gaster did momentarily flinch, flickery eyelights shrinking. But that same darkly amused grin was quick to return. Toriel didn't care, she wasn't going to just sit there and let him spew such venom uncontested anymore.

"I tire of listening to your endless ramblings in which you disparage the monster I love." She said using her old royal voice, deep and commanding. "Sans is a million times the monster you will ever be. He is compassionate, intelligent, thoughtful and has the most brilliant sense of humor there is. He finds new ways to bring joy to my life every day, as well as to everyone around him. He has grown so much in such a short time, and will only continue to better himself and discover his true capabilities."

She jabbed a clawed finger in his direction, jabbing it against the glass of the containment unit.

"You on the other hand? Your legacy will be nothing but that of a soulless beast who tortured children in unspeakable ways. Your excuses be damned. All who think of you will only be filled with hatred and disgust. I assure you."

Some of her fire was spent then, and she was able to take a steadying breath. Still, it continued to burn behind her eyes as the image of her dear skeleton rose to the forefront of her mind. It both tempted her to be driven to further rage on his behalf… but also returned a certain calmness to her soul.

She let the flames around her paws slowly burn itself out, leaving nothing but curls of grayish purple smoke around her. But all the while, she didn't dare free Gaster from her piercing gaze.

"Sans will be loved by his ever expanding family and friends forever, no matter how much you despise him." She declared, tone softening despite herself.

Gaster hummed thoughtfully in response, still looking rather entertained by her loss of composure. But a certain emotionlessness had returned to his expression, making it near impossible to read what he was really feeling. He didn't offer any further response though, just kept staring at her expectantly.

Seeing as he was still apparently waiting for more, Toriel cleared her throat of smoke and lingering embers and continued, glad to be able to argue another horrible point of his.

"As for the baby… Alphys already assured us that they are developing just fine. Their magic is strong and their soul has shown no abnormalities." She said matter of factly, crossing her arms.

Silence was all that met her words at first, but she could see amusement and something far darker flash in the unsteady lights of his eyes. They remained hazy for a moment, as though he had lost his awareness of his surroundings. But almost in a blink, he snapped back into focus and ran his twisted phalanges down his chin in contemplation.

"AH, BUT ALPHYS DIDN'T CREATE SANS THOUGH, NOW DID SHE?" He pointed out, his grin splitting across his face once again as though being jaggedly carved out by a knife. "I KNOW EACH AND EVERY FLAW HIS SOUL CONTAINS, I DOCUMENTED THEM IN DETAIL MYSELF. I KNOW EXACTLY HOW HIS MAGIC COULD LEAD TO PROBLEMS FOR THIS... "CHILD" OF YOURS DOWN THE LINE."

He had found another means of getting to her, and he knew it. She could see the smug satisfaction in that fact evident even on his distorted features. Rage once again threatened to blaze forth within her at his gall to speak in such a manner of her child. But she held her composure, reminding herself that he was only trying to intentionally stir up further conflict. Besides, she had more than enough reasons to dismiss his claims without a second thought.

"I trust in Alphys' judgement, and the judgement of my doctors. It is rather convenient that only _you_ seem to think there is reason for doubt." She pointed out with a subtle sneer. "And what is stopping you from making up things just to try and get a rise out of me?"

Gaster's expression shifted a little at that, looking… a bit impressed perhaps? Or maybe it was simple curiosity. Nonetheless, his crooked grin returned in short order as he closed his sockets.

"NOW THAT WOULD BE TELLING, WOULDN'T IT?"

Another spike of anger ran through her at that, as her frustration became more difficult to keep under control. It didn't help either that all the emotion was causing the baby to stir and was starting make her feel vaguely ill. Despite all that, she was about to offer up a retort through partially clenched teeth, but a sudden buzzing from her jacket pocket interrupted her.

She held back a growl of frustration, not wanting to allow Gaster to get the last word in this conversation, but knowing she needed to see what it was.

"AH, A MESSAGE FROM MY DARLING BOY PAPYRUS I ASSUME?" He asked in a sickening display of mock-affection.

He earned a glare out of the corner of her eye for that as she fished out the device with her large paws. Indeed, a new text from Papyrus was on the phone screen, indicating that he was heading back and would be home in a few minutes. But she wouldn't dignify Gaster with an answer to his question.

She briefly had her thoughts pulled from her former royal scientist, reminded of what Sans had asked of her before his departure. If she were to honor it, she would need to find some way to keep Papyrus from coming in here. And surely Sans would be back soon as well... As much as she knew he would be tempted to stay at the bar, his comfort zone, drowning his whirlwind of emotions in booze or ketchup, she knew he'd hold true to his own word as well.

She couldn't stay here. There was too much to do to continue talking in circles with the vile monster trapped behind the glass. Though her anger, her pain on her loved one's behalf screamed for her to stay and continue to berate him for his past sins, her rational side managed to keep her composure in check. Even with the little one within her further fueling her irrational, emotional side.

Forcing herself not to look back at Gaster, she turned and began slowly heading for the door. Despite everything, her paws felt like lead, threatening to drag as she did so.

"I have to go." She said flatly, tone as cold as ice. "I will be back later, with… something for you to eat."

She heard the machine translating Gaster's voice emit a crackle of static as he chuckled to himself, as though briefly struggling to do its task. It quickly switched back to being clear once the captive monster spoke again, but that element of strain was still faintly detectable.

"WHAT A TRULY GRACIOUS HOST YOU ARE." He rasped, and she noticed from the corner of her eye that the black fluid was running down his face again, leaking from just about everywhere it could. "I LOOK FORWARD TO IT. YOUR COOKING WAS ALWAYS TO DIE FOR."

His eyelights went hazy then, and he shook with a few more heavy coughs. This time, he didn't bother to wipe the stuff away. He maintained that far too wide smile all the while though, even as the fluid continued to spill from and over his mouth in sluggish dark rivers.

"AH, BUT I DO HAVE ONE LAST THING I WOULD LIKE-" He began, before being cut off by a few more rattling coughs. "L-LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT..."

Toriel eyed him suspiciously over her shoulder, not feeling compelled to turn around and face him again. She didn't have time to get dragged into further conversation with him. If he wanted to say something, he would have to make it quick. And by the stars it better be good at this point. She was beginning to feel that Sans' view of his father was in fact accurate, and that this whole idea of speaking to Gaster had in all been a rather pointless effort.

But it was more than just her exhaustion at hearing the former royal scientist's sickening, soulless reasonings for his actions that made her hesitant to hear whatever else he wished to say.

"You're practically falling apart as we speak." She pointed out matter of factly. "Do you really want to continue this?"

Gaster could only seem to wheeze in the moments following her question, but he nodded all the same. Even as he did though, she could see his body was becoming more unstable, losing form and rippling unnaturally here and there. If he was at all bothered by it though, he didn't show it. He remained eerily and totally fixated on her, and somehow that disturbing smile only grew wider as he caught his breath again.

"IT'S ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN. APART FROM THE… UNBORN ONE." He croaked out, in an almost lighthearted tone. Though he didn't hide his disgust when speaking those last two words.

"I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THE MOST UNFORTUNATE STATES THEY ARE IN. THE LITTLE PRINCE APPEARS TO BE STEADILY REGAINING A NEW SOUL, AS WELL AS WHAT LOOKS TO BE HIS OLD APPEARANCE. BUT IT SEEMS TO BE QUITE THE UNPLEASANT PROCESS FOR HIM. AND THE TWO HUMANS ARE PERPETUALLY DOOMED TO SHARE BOTH A BODY AND A SOUL. QUITE CONFRONTING INDEED…"

An increasingly searing glare from Toriel was more than enough to communicate that her patience and tolerance for what was being said was waning fast. He chuckled hoarsely once, but was quick to get to the point.

"ALL I AM SAYING IS THIS." He continued, straightening up his amorphous form a bit. "I HAVE A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THE SCIENCES. FAR MORE THAN MY YOUNG SUCCESSOR. NOT TO DISCREDIT HER OWN HIGH MERITS, OF COURSE. BUT YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THAT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE DO GROW WITH AGE."

His attempt to establish any sort of common ground with her only earned him another glare full of loathing, but he pressed on unfazed. The lights of his eyes were practically dancing amongst their erratic flickering.

"BASED ON MY OBSERVATIONS OF YOUR CHILDRENS' CURRENT STATES OF BEING, I HAVE THEORIES ON HOW THEY COULD BE... HELPED." He said, emphasizing the word with a wider grin. "AND IN THE TWO HUMANS' CASES… SEPARATED SAFELY TO LIVE AS THEIR OWN BEINGS AGAIN. IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN."

Toriel blinked, losing her grip of her anger for a moment amongst a wave of shock. He… he knew of some way Frisk and Chara could live separately? She never even dared to dream of such a possibility before. It was a miracle enough that her lost children were back in her life. Wishing for anything more would have felt selfish. But how much would it improve the two young human's lives if they were no longer bound to each other? They managed well enough in their current situation, but if they could be given their own individual autonomy again… and Chara a body of their own...

Her common sense quickly came rushing in to smash that train of thought. No, she had zero reason to trust Gaster. She had every reason _NOT_ to in fact. This couldn't be anything more than another attempt at manipulation, more lies to sow the seeds of further conflict. He was using her children to try and get to her, as he knew she treasured her family over all else. She felt truly foolish for entertaining the idea of considering his words for even a moment. Especially as more glaring issues in Gaster's words became obvious.

"And just what has prompted such _noble_ charity of you all of sudden?" She asked, voice dripping with sarcasm and disdain. "Did your lifelong prejudice for humans suddenly evaporate while we were speaking? And what happened to me being a "traitorous wretch?""

That did seem to get to him, as his manic grin fell just a bit and his eyelights flickered more rapidly, threatening to vanish. But he held his composure, even as his body was continually failing to do the same. He coughed once again, cleared his metaphorical throat, and replied as though unfazed.

"DESPITE YOUR BETRAYAL OF US ALL BACK THEN AND YOUR CURRENT CHOICES IN LIFE BEING MOST LOATHSOME, I WILL ADMIT YOU HAVE GRANTED ME SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO OCCUPY MY DYING DAYS IN THIS WORLD." He explained, feigning a warm tone. "I FIGURE IT IS THE LEAST I CAN DO TO OFFER SOME SMALL RECOMPENSE. EVEN IF IT GOES AGAINST MY OWN BELIEFS IN REGARDS TO THE TWO HUMANS."

He lifted a trembling floating hand and pressed it against the glass between them, his sockets crinkling at the edges.

"WHAT IS ONE LAST FAVOR FOR A MONSTER WHO WAS ONCE A DEAR FRIEND, BEFORE FATE SEPARATES US FOR THE FINAL TIME?"

As the robotic voice from the control panel finished translating the words, silence once again fell between her and the ghoulish monster behind the glass. A flurry of dark emotions simmered under the surface as before, but she would not give into it. Not when she was sure it would only entertain him. She forced the burning feeling back down inside her, even when her frayed nerves and more fragile emotional state threatened to fail.

She didn't have time to linger further, and part of her didn't even want to dignify his pathetic "offer" with a response. But he made the mistake of bringing her children even more directly into this. She couldn't take that lying down, not without ensuring he understood _exactly_ how she felt about what he could possibly have to "give back" to her.

Straightening up, she managed a composed and serious tone. One that only slightly quivered from the broiling emotions within her.

"Well Wingdings, I assure you. Any friendship we once had has long since been destroyed by the things you have done. You chose your path, and you show no remorse. And for that, you have lost everything, including any possible sympathy I could ever feel for you."

Her expression hardened, and a brief flash of her true rage passed through her ruby red eyes.

"And you will _not_ go near my children. Ever." She growled, with all the past authority she could manage to put into her voice. "I am not the fool you apparently take me for."

Stepping closer, she noticed how she seemed to tower over him in his weakened state. In the current situation, she was grateful for that. Anything to aid in wiping that smug expression off his twisted face and ensuring he knew she meant every word that left her lips.

"You can play games all you want. You can try and talk around the issues and get into my head until we are both blue in the face. But it will get you nowhere." She declared. "I will _never_ allow you to get away with what you have done to Sans and Papyrus. Or your slew of other victims. No matter what is decided, rest assured, you will receive no salvation from us. You will die as you lived whilst shattered across time and space. The only difference is that you will crumble to dust whilst being despised, rather than forgotten."

The venom in her own voice surprised her then, but she would feel no remorse for the harshness she displayed. His expression didn't waver, but the lights of his eyes dimmed momentarily, like waning candle flames. After that, his face appeared more like a frozen mask, unreadable and emotionless.

Unmoved, she turned and began to leave once again, absolutely done listening to this dark phantom of the past. But he spoke one last time to her regardless, her lack of direct attention not deterring him.

"VERY WELL THEN. WE SHALL SEE INDEED." He replied, voice low and deliberate, but still carrying a hint of cruel amusement. "I ONLY IMPLORE YOU TO KEEP MY OFFER IN MIND GOING FORWARD, TORIEL. SO LONG AS I AM STILL LIVING, IT REMAINS ON THE TABLE."

Apart from an annoyed huff, she didn't dignify his words with a response. Though deep down, they had sparked a cold sense of unease within her, one she knew would surely surface in full once her anger waned and could no longer mask it. But for now, she was going to ignore it just as much as she was going to ignore him. She shut the door behind her with a bit more force than necessary, surely plunging Gaster into total darkness once again. Perhaps it resembled whatever hellish darkness he'd been trapped in whilst in his shattered state. The bitter, vengeful side of her certainly hoped so.

And yet, she got the eerie feeling that, even alone, he'd still be wearing nothing but that manic smile, grinning into the darkness as he ever so slowly wasted away.

She suppressed a shudder, stepping away from the door and rubbing her temples as she made her way back to the living room. She'd hoped getting away from him would set her mind straight again, but everything still felt in a whirl, with all his words echoing in her head. How on earth was she meant to handle this? How were any of them meant to handle this?

She resolved to go make herself some tea to calm her nerves while she waited for Papyrus and Sans to return. No wait, she couldn't have tea. Not with the baby. She suppressed a groan. It would have to be just some warm milk then. It wouldn't be the same, but it should at least help take her mind off everything that just happened.

But she was so consumed by her thoughts as she began making her way to the kitchen that she almost didn't notice Papyrus was already there in the living room. She startled a bit, blinking at him with wide eyes as she tried to figure out how she had somehow not heard the door, or another incoming text from the skeleton. But the sight of him… it banished those thoughts quickly.

He was sitting silently on the couch with the little white dog sitting on his lap. The fact that he was allowing that at all paired with how despondent he looked spoke volumes, and Toriel felt her heart sink.

"I UM… HEARD YOU IN THERE." He said softly, looking up at her and offering a weak smile. "I FIGURED I SHOULDN'T INTERRUPT."

Toriel gulped, mind frantically trying to piece together what he may have overheard. But it was all still too scattered and blurred by all her stirred up emotions. So she just said the first thing she could pick out as a response amongst her jumbled thoughts.

"Your brother is not back yet." She said, perhaps a bit too quickly.

Slightly embarrassed, she cleared her throat and forced herself to calm down and speak in her usual tone.

"I think it is best we wait for him to get here before we do anything else."

Papyrus' gaze didn't waver from her, and the sadness she could see in his expression jabbed at her soul with guilt. She knew what he wanted, and honestly deserved to do… but she would be lying if she claimed that she didn't feel the same as Sans did about it. Knowing Papyrus' nature… and how manipulative Gaster was proving to be… She could hardly bear to think of what that twisted shadow of a monster could do to Papyrus mentally and emotionally…

"And he, well… he asked me to-" She began to explain, but he cut her off.

"I KNOW…" He said, in a rather dejected tone. "I FIGURED HE WOULD..."

He didn't specify what he meant, but it was clear they both already knew. She looked at him apologetically, but the worry swirling about her soul kept her from conceding any further. And he seemed to know that, as he just looked back down at the dog without another word. He didn't even react when the small animal whined and gave him a little lick.

For as hard as she could be when she needed to, Toriel's soft heart, further bolstered by the baby's influence on her, couldn't bear to see the usually bright and cheery skeleton like this. She couldn't let him go in and see his wretched excuse for a father, not yet anyway. But she had to do something to try and lift his spirits. She wracked her brain for a moment, not wanting an awkward silence to form. Then she remembered what her original plan had been before she'd found him in the living room.

"I was going to make some warm drinks... Would you like some?" She asked, trying to work some lightheartedness into her tone.

She paused a moment, wrestling internally with what she wanted to offer next. It was more risky, but in this case it felt necessary.

"And maybe... we can talk about all this while we wait for Sans? Perhaps about anything… you might be worried to say in front of your brother right now? Only if you would want to, of course."

That made him perk up, just a little bit, clearly surprised. He blinked up at her, then his smile grew just a bit closer to his usual one. It was a small victory, but she would take it in a heartbeat.

"THAT... THAT WOULD BE GREAT, TORIEL." He answered simply, absently fiddling with his gloves a bit. "THANK YOU."

She smiled and gave him a little nod before heading for the kitchen. She had managed to do what needed to be done, but oh how she dreaded what was sure to be a tumultuous conversation ahead. After her confrontation with Gaster, she wasn't sure how much more she could realistically handle.

She allowed herself to briefly focus on preparing their drinks. Warm milk for her, hot chocolate for Papyrus. She couldn't get as creative with it as she liked to for her own drink, just to be on the safe side, but she did put some whipped cream and a little candy cane stick into Papyrus' mug. It turned out to be a rather lovely sight, but no amount of sweet drinks was going to make the oncoming conversation any easier.

Once she'd set both cups on a tray, she laid her paw against her stomach, seeking out the little one's magic.

 _"Oh my child, I fear this is far from over…"_ She thought, as though they could hear her. _"Be strong, little one. I will do what I must to keep us all safe."_

A tiny wave of magic, just evident enough to be noticed, met her soul a moment later. Though she knew she couldn't be sure if it was something of a reply from her child, or just a convenient unconscious act of a growing little monster.


	14. Change

Magic sparkled in Papyrus' sockets as he took his first sip of steaming hot cocoa. It seemed that the festive drink was enough to return some of his lost vitality to him.

"STUPENDOUSLY DELICIOUS AS ALWAYS!" He exclaimed, seemingly unaware of the small whipped cream mustache that had been left on his face. "THANK YOU TORIEL!"

Toriel chuckled from her place beside him on the couch, taking a sip of her own mug of warm milk before replying.

"You are most welcome, my friend." She said, before quirking a brow at him playfully. "But I _mustache_ you about your fashionable new facial hair."

"NYEH? WHAT DO YOU-" He began to ask, before reaching up to touch his face and realizing what was there.

He grumbled at both the pun, and the offending dairy product as he wiped it away. Somehow though… he seemed a little bit more genuinely upset by the bit of teasing than usual. The annoyance seemed deeper, and lingered longer in his expression. Just enough to be noticed. Any humor she felt quickly faded upon seeing that.

She considered questioning him, but he was looking at her expectantly in regards to the conversation at hand. So she let it be for the moment, partially because she had a feeling the answer may come naturally before long. The atmosphere was suddenly heavy again, not at all something she was used to experiencing with the usually exuberant skeleton.

"Now then, I do not know how long we will have but… please, do tell me how you are feeling about all this." She implored.

Papyrus fidgeted with his mug a bit, clearly trying to sort out how to best articulate his thoughts. She could practically see them all spiraling over his head, each vying to be the first expressed aloud.

"I… I'M FRUSTRATED I SUPPOSE." He eventually managed, a touch uncertainly. "I UNDERSTAND THAT SANS IS UPSET, MOST UNDERSTANDABLY SO!, AND IS ONLY TRYING TO PROTECT ME. BUT…"

He frowned, a mixture of sadness and annoyance evident in his expression.

"I DON'T FEEL LIKE HE TRUSTS ME, ITS LIKE HE DOESN'T THINK I CAN MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS FOR MYSELF, OR HANDLE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS." He clarified, before narrowing his sockets and looking down towards the floor. "JUST LIKE UNDYNE DOESN'T…"

Toriel blinked, somewhat surprised by that last part.

"What makes you say that?" She asked, keeping her voice collected and hopefully comforting.

The skeleton heaved a sigh, clacking his top and bottom teeth against each other a bit in thought. He was hesitant to share his reasonings, but eventually it seemed the chance to finally discuss this with someone was too tempting to ignore.

"I KNOW WHY UNDYNE NEVER LET ME INTO THE ROYAL GUARD." He declared, wincing a bit after as though he expected the fish monster to come leaping in through the window. "I OVERHEARD HER SAY HER REASONS TO FRISK… WHEN I WAS TRYING TO HELP THE TWO OF THEM BECOME FRIENDS."

He puffed up a bit as he slipped into full on storytelling mode, regaining a bit of his usual bravado if only for the sake of relaying the tale.

"I EXPERTLY MADE A DISCRETE EXIT SO THAT THE TWO WOULD HAVE THE CHANCE TO START BONDING!" He explained with a grin. "BUT I HID JUST OUTSIDE AFTERWARDS SO I COULD MAKE SURE IT WAS ALL GOING WELL."

His temporary smile fell then, replaced again by that pained and even embittered expression that was felt so foreign on his face.

"SHE SAID I WAS... TOO INNOCENT AND NICE TO BE ABLE TO BE IN THE GUARD. DESPITE MY ALL GREAT SKILLS AT FIGHTING. ALL THOSE COOKING LESSONS AND OTHER "TRAININGS" IT WAS ALL JUST… A TRICK, TO TRY AND MAKE ME WANT TO DO SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD. RATHER THAN JUST TELLING ME THE TRUTH OF HOW SHE FELT."

He drew in on himself a little, making him all of a sudden appear quite small.

"EVER SINCE I HEARD THAT... I'VE NOTICED MORE AND MORE THAT OTHERS TREAT ME LIKE THAT TOO. I FEEL LIKE SANS... MIGHT DO IT MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE. HE'S ESPECIALLY DOING IT RIGHT NOW."

For a few moments, he looked somewhat defeated, deflating a bit where he sat. But then in a flash, he sat straight up again, sockets flashing with fiercer indignation.

"BUT IT'S NOT RIGHT! I'M NOT A CHILD OR SOMEONE WHO CANNOT THINK AND FEND FOR HIMSELF! JUST BECAUSE I CHOOSE TO SEE HOPE WHERE OTHERS DON'T DOESN'T MEAN I AM BLIND TO REALITY." He declared, curling his gloved hands tighter around his mug.

His breathing grew a bit unsteady in the wake of his words, as though saying all that had winded him. But there was no regret in his sockets to be seen. No, it was Toriel who felt regret, and plenty of guilt too. Papyrus hadn't mentioned her by name in all that as he had others, but she knew that she was not innocent of the behavior he was talking about.

"I see…" She replied sadly, taking another small sip of milk before lowering the mug to her lap. "I am truly sorry if I ever made you feel as though I were treating you unfairly in that regard as well, my friend. I do not doubt that I have, and you are right in that you deserve better than that. Regardless of what my own intentions were. "

Papyrus blinked, clearly a touch taken aback to actually be having this conversation, and receiving an apology in turn. He'd likely imagined such things privately for some time, but it was quite a different experience to have it occur in reality. Some of the remorseful weight in Toriel's chest lifted when Papyrus' expression softened and he offered her a small smile.

"THANK YOU TORIEL." He replied warmly, in a softer tone than usual. "THAT MEANS A LOT."

Her apology seemed to further bolster his confidence to continue, but it didn't stop the sadness from returning to his face. He shifted uncomfortably where he sat, tapping the handle of his mug.

"I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY ALL THAT TO SANS WITHOUT HIM GETTING EVEN MORE UPSET. I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM THIS ANGRY IN A LONG TIME…"

There was a pause, as he appeared to be remembering something, but he shook himself out of whatever it was rather quickly.

"BUT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS WITH HIM! I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT OF US TO JUST LEAVE DAD TO DIE ALONE IN THAT THING..." He exclaimed, looking at Toriel with a plea for understanding. "I KNOW HE'S A VERY BAD PERSON TORIEL, I DO. AND I KNOW THERE'S BASICALLY NO CHANCE OF HIM CHANGING FROM THAT AT THIS POINT..."

The skeleton set his jaw, confliction evident in his expression. Toriel's soul ached for him. There was no doubt that this situation was straining Papyrus' own moral compass. Even for someone like him, there was no clear right or wrong answer as to what to do.

"BUT SHOULDN'T WE TRY TO AT LEAST MAKE HIM SEE THAT HE'S BEEN IN THE WRONG?" He continued, trying and failing to have a hopeful tone to his voice. "LET HIM SEE HOW US ALL LIVING HAPPILY UP HERE IN SPITE OF ALL THE HATRED HE HAS TOWARDS HUMANS PROVES HIM WRONG? THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT WE CAN DO IN HIS FINAL DAYS THAN JUST… LETTING HIM WASTE AWAY TO DUST IN THERE. I DON'T SEE HOW IT'S GOOD TO TREAT HIM WITH THE SAME EVIL THAT HE DID TOWARDS US. THAT WON'T CHANGE ANYTHING! AND HE'LL DIE… STILL FEELING VINDICATED AND FULL OF HATE."

He sighed heavily, deflating even more and setting his mug down on the coffee table between them.

"AT THE VERY LEAST… I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO HIM BEFORE HE'S GONE FOREVER. AND JUST… ASK A FEW THINGS. THINGS I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW. ABOUT MYSELF AND MY BROTHER. I REMEMBER THE THINGS HE DID TO US NOW BUT... IT SOMETIMES STILLS JUST FEELS LIKE A BAD DREAM. ITS HARD TO REALLY GRASP IT AS REAL. I THINK... I THINK IF TALKED TO HIM, I'D BE ABLE TO ACCEPT IT BETTER."

He spoke while looking down, but once again looked up at her imploringly, seeking both understanding and advice. Toriel felt her own unease tighten up in her chest, and it took her a long moment to reply. She sighed, finished her last sip of milk, and set the mug down beside his before she replied.

"I understand Papyrus, I truly do." She said, crossing her paws in her lap. "It is just… the situation is not that simple. Gaster has caused such incredible harm to so many… just among those who survived his depraved experiments, and for some they are still coming to terms with that harm after having those memories locked away. Some of them are bound to feel hurt or betrayed if we choose to show the one who harmed them and so many others any level of kindness."

A slight twinge of pain on her leg revealed that her claws had slid out by instinct, and she curled her paws into fists rather than attempt to retract them again. The image of her dear skeleton had drifted back to the forefront of her mind. Of him wracked with nightmares that long night after he'd first told her of his father's terrible crimes. Of him staring right through her, eyelight ablaze and bone attacks at the ready, consumed by a fear and anguish she would never truly grasp the depth of.

"As for your brother… I do not think I need to remind you that the worst of Gaster's abuse and neglect was directed towards him back then. And he had to carry the pain of that alone for… a very very long time."

The air felt heavy in the wake of those words. They seemed to bring the harsh reality of the situation crashing down on Papyrus once again, and sorrow quickly overrode every other emotion on his face.

"I KNOW…" He lamented, staring downwards as he thought of Sans. "IT MAKE SENSE THAT HE'S REALLY NOT COPING WITH THIS WELL AT ALL. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW HE MUST BE FEELING. HE WAS SO ANGRY BEFORE… I HOPE HE DOESN'T RUN OFF OR GIVE ME THE SILENT TREATMENT FOR WHAT I SAID."

Even as her soul ached at the reminder of all Sans had been through, Toriel offered a small, reassuring smile.

"Had this happened early last year, I would be much more worried. But I know he has grown a lot since then, more than I ever expected! He is far better equipped to handle something like this now. I am sure he will get through it just fine given time. Though like most things with him, it will likely not be resolved right away."

She gave him an imploring look of her own, though hers was paired with a more hopeful expression.

"Be patient with him, my friend. Let him cool down and I am sure he will return more open to listening. But on your end, I must suggest you also try and see things from his point of view."

Her brief smile faltered some then, and her red eyes grew hazy as her own memories and experiences rose to the forefront of her thoughts. She worried her lip with her fangs for a moment, unsure whether to share further. But the feeling she had that it would encourage further understanding on Papyrus' part made her push on.

"One's own pain can damage their ability to think reasonably, and it can make even doing the right thing utterly agonizing." She said, a hint of regret weighing down her tone. "I… more than understand that, as I suppose is obvious. I know just what a difficult thing it is to push through those feelings and think with logic and understanding when your soul feels like it is being torn apart within you just by the mere mention of… whoever has caused that pain."

She only barely caught herself from saying his name. Even now, she didn't want to call attention to it, lest her unruly emotional state decide to try and stoke the old fires of her past grudges within her. She made an effort to move back to the subject at hand before there was any chance to linger on her own struggles.

"Sans is feeling a similar pain now. So just… keep that in mind when you talk to him again. Just as you would not expect someone with a wounded leg to walk as they normally do, someone with wounded soul will not process their emotions as expected either."

She'd slipped into a bit of her teacher voice there and Papyrus clearly noticed. He chuckled a bit into his glove.

"NYEH HEH, YOU ALWAYS PHRASE THINGS IN SUCH A UNIQUE WAY TORIEL." He noted, a feeling of warmth that had been absent before entering his voice. "I AM FOREVER GLAD SANS HAS YOU IN HIS LIFE."

With that, he suddenly stood up from his chair to strike on of his usual poses. The motion sent the poor dog tumbling to the floor, but the pup recovered quickly and made quick work of going in to chew on Papyrus' boot. The skeleton didn't seem to notice, fully focused on the speech he was making.

"I PROMISE YOU THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL FIND SOME WAY FOR ME AND MY BROTHER TO DISCUSS THIS TOPIC IN A WAY THAT IS NOT TOO MUCH FOR EITHER OF US. WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH WORSE AFTER ALL! WE WON'T LET SOMETHING LIKE THIS DRIVE ANY WEDGES BETWEEN US!" He vowed, brimming with the return of some of his old confidence.

Toriel smiled up at him, feeling a bit of relief. Part of her had worried their earlier argument would spiral into something worse. But Papyrus' evident drive to fix things gave her hope that her worries were unfounded.

"I have full confidence in you." She assured him with an approving nod.

He seemed happy to hear that at first, but as before, that initial positive reaction faded into something more somber.

"BUT NOT… ABOUT TALKING TO MY DAD, RIGHT?"

She internally winced a bit at that, feeling his knowing gaze on her as she briefly looked down and away by instinct. She had known the subject was coming, she had just partially hoped that it would be Sans would had this talk with his brother before her. There was always the risk of contradicting whatever Sans said to him later. But she couldn't not reply, not when he was looking at her like that… on top of the guilt his admission had already stirred in her.

"Me and your brother are just worried Papyrus." She said after letting out a soft sigh and looking up at him. "Gaster has shown he knows how to manipulate people, even in his pitiful state. He uses his words to hurt now that he can no longer cause physical harm. He may even do his best to trick you into letting him escape. Every word out of his mouth is poison and lies, Sans and I both just don't want him to be able to hurt you. Or to trick you into doing something for his own gain."

Papyrus huffed a bit, crossing his arms and standing up tall.

"AND I AM EASY TO TRICK?" He shot back, before clearing regretting his snappiness and going on in a softer tone. "I GUESS I CANNOT FULLY ARGUE WITH THAT. AFTER ALL, FLOWEY FOOLED ME MANY TIMES BACK IN THE UNDERGROUND INTO THINKING HE WAS MY FRIEND. UNDYNE WAS ABLE TO KEEP HER TRUE FEELINGS ABOUT ME JOINING THE GUARD EASILY CONCEALED… AND SANS WAS ABLE TO LIE TO ME ABOUT… WELL… EVERYTHING. FOR YEARS."

His words carried the weight of baggage that was getting harder for the skeleton to ignore, and Toriel's soul panged for him. It was awful to see Papyrus, usually so bright and full of life, wearing an expression far more like his brother's on one of his bad days.

Feeling her nurturing instincts flare to life inside her, she got up from the couch and walked over to him. She would have liked to gather him up in a hug, but that didn't seem like it would be the most welcome thing at the moment, especially given all Papyrus had been talking about. She settled with laying a paw on his shoulder, scarlet eyes full of sympathy.

"I am sorry, I suppose I am doing it again, am I not?" She said, slowly shaking her head in exasperation at herself. "I apologize, I hope you do not think I mean to belittle you."

Papyrus smiled at that, though it still failed to match his usual ones. He reached up and gave her paw a thankful squeeze.

"IT IS OKAY." He assured her, tone lightening. "YOU RECOGNIZE IT NOW AT LEAST. I UNDERSTAND IT MORE COMING FROM YOU. YOU WORRY A LOT ABOUT EVERYONE DEEP DOWN, NYEH HEH. WHY, IF YOU LET ME WALTZ IN THERE WITHOUT A WORD, I'D BE CONVINCED YOU WERE AN IMPOSTER!"

The small attempt at humor did manage to coax a small laugh out of both of them, though Papyrus once again sobered up quickly. He turned and looked at the hallway for a long moment, then faced Toriel again with a resolute expression.

"I APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND YOURS AND SANS' CONCERNS." He said, kindly shrugging off her paw. "I'LL SEE WHAT TALKING TO MY BROTHER ACCOMPLISHES AND THEN… WELL…"

Whatever he intended to say then, it was interrupted then not by a sound, but a flash of light. Both she and Papyrus looked over to the entryway into the kitchen, squinting and blinking against the brief assault on their eyes. But even through all that, they could both see Sans had appeared in the spot the light had been.

The skeleton looked weary and stiff, but notably, not drunk. Though Toriel would reserve confirming that observation for later. For now, she was just happy to see he'd returned in a decent state of mind from the looks of things. Part of her had been expecting, despite his promises, that she'd end up having to go and pick him up from Grillby's. Or that he'd show up a wreck after succumbing to temptation and utterly overindulging at the bar.

But lo and behold, it looked as though he had indeed held true to his word. For one who still really didn't like making promises, he seemed to be getting a lot better at keeping them. Though that clearly hadn't helped him shake all the intense emotions the day's events had brought on. Even now, his expression was grim, his eyelights were dull, and he didn't totally loosen up upon looking over at them either.

"AH! BROTHER! YOU'VE… RETURNED…" Papyus said, beginning the exclamation with what was to be an enthusiastic hug, but remembering himself and the events prior before he could reach the smaller skeleton.

Thankfully, Sans did step over to talk with his brother rather than making a hasty excuse to avoid the situation. Though he did look understandably uneasy about speaking to Papyrus, he clearly recognized that it had to be done. He couldn't leave things as they had been after their argument.

"hey bro." He replied back, rubbing the back of his skull before letting out a heavy sigh. "yah, sorry for the holdup… wasn't for the reason you might think, i just ended up talking with grillbz for a while. the guys a real good listener, always has been. he helped me chill out a bit, ironically. heh."

He slipped his hands into his hoodie pockets and looked down at his feet for a moment.

"i owe him a lot for putting up with me all these years." He said, closing his sockets briefly.

When he reopened them, he lifted his gaze back up to Papyrus. Sweat dotted his skull as he struggled to find the right words to say, but in the end he seemed to go with the most simple ones he could.

"Look pap… i'm… i'm real sorry for blowing up at ya earlier." He apologized, weariness and guilt weighing down the words. "i shouldn't be taking any of this out on you."

That was all the incentive Papyrus needed to return to his original plan. He leaned down and scooped his brother up in a tight hug. Though a certain somberness remained in his expression, even as he did his best to sound like his cheery self.

"IT IS ALRIGHT SANS! I FORGIVE YOU." He assured him, giving him another squeeze before holding him out in front of him to speak to him more easily. "AND I AM SORRY TOO, FOR NOT CONSIDERING HOW UPSET ALL THIS WAS MAKING YOU, AND FOR MAKING THINGS WORSE IN THAT REGARD…"

He hesitated a moment, brows creasing and jaw working as he internally wrestled his conflicted feelings. Soon enough, his expression softened into something imploring yet still resolute.

"DO YOU THINK WE CAN AT LEAST… TALK ABOUT IT THOUGH? JUST YOU AND ME? WHEN YOU FEEL UP TO IT OF COURSE… "

The words were met with silence by Sans at first, who looked a bit surprised to hear the question. He quirked a brow ridge at his brother, but eventually just shrugged his shoulders in response. It wasn't dismissive, but it likely wasn't exactly what Papyrus wanted to see from him either.

"yeah, alright bro." He conceded with a nod, as his sockets slid to only be half-open. "we can do that… just not right now, okay?"

Papyrus offered a brighter smile in response, but still not as strong as his usual one. He was clearly pleased at Sans' agreement, but Toriel suspected he had been hoping for more from his brother.

"THAT'S FINE!" He assured Sans rather quickly as he carefully set his brother down back on his feet. "I PROMISE NOT TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEN."

Sans gave a small nod of acknowledgement to that before his gaze was inevitably drawn back to entrance to the hallway.

"thanks…" He replied to Papyrus a beat late and without looking at him.

There was sincerity in his voice, but it was clear that Sans' focus was still elsewhere, in much darker places than his brother. Toriel took that as a good opportunity to step over as well, able to gain his attention by gently resting her paw on his shoulder. He stiffened for a flash but then quickly relaxed as he recognized her touch. Toriel felt his thin phalanges curl around as much of her paw as they could, offering a small, affectionate squeeze. It was a familiar gesture that offered a little comfort to them both.

She met his gaze, seeing the more raw pain and exhaustion that was there now that his anger's strength had waned for the moment. It would be back surely, but for now it had all but burned him out. They communicated without words then, as she read the silent plea she could see in his eyelights. She and him would talk later, but for now he just needed to rest, something he could only really do once his business with Gaster was done for the time being.

She offered a small nod in return, and that was enough for him. After squeezing her paw one more time, he let it go and took a step towards the hallway.

"welp, guess i better deliver the temporary verdict to ol g'." He sighed, rolling his shoulders. "for now… he's staying where he is."

Papyrus fidgeted a bit with his gloves, clearly not entirely happy with that answer, but not about to openly oppose it either.

"ALRIGHT…" He conceded in a softer tone. "JUST BE CAREFUL, BROTHER."

Sans replied with only a quiet sound of acknowledgment before he headed out of the room. Toriel felt a slight chill run through her as she watched him disappear into the gloom of the unnaturally dark hallway.

...

With Sans busy dealing with Gaster, Toriel returned to a task she knew she couldn't neglect. As wretched as the monster trapped in their guest room was, it would do none of them any good if he simply starved to death before any sort of closure could happen. So it fell to her to find something to give the ghoulish monster to eat. Usually cooking was one of her most treasured activities, but today she would rather be doing anything else.

She stared into her cabinets with a frustrated expression, scanning for potential options. She didn't want to give him anything that would make him think he was going to receive any sort of five star treatment, but she also didn't want to give him something so insubstantial that it wouldn't keep him alive in his fragile state. There was no easy answer. It didn't help that the little one was stirring up her magic either. Nausea was the enemy of any culinary endeavor.

She sighed and rubbed a bit at her middle, trying to appease the little soul enough to get it to settle. With them still being so small though, there was only so much she could do to actually affect them directly.

The sound of familiar soft footfalls behind her pulled her from her thoughts and she turned around to see Sans stepping into the kitchen. He had his head down, so she couldn't really see his face, but his posture wasn't too stiff. Perhaps that was a good sign? As good of one as there could be in a situation like this anyway.

"Oh, that was rather fast." She said, stepping over to meet him halfway. "How did… it go?"

He wheezed out a humorless chuckle through his teeth before lifting his gaze up to meet hers. Stars above he looked so tired… It had been a while since the dark circles under his sockets had been _that_ dark.

"s' like i said. i told em he's staying put in that thing until further notice, or until the reaper comes to claim him." He replied with an attempt at a casual shrug of his shoulders. "and that if he tries anything, well… he's gonna have a bad time."

Once the lights returned to his sockets, he scratched absently at where his undershirt met his neck vertebrae, clearly doing his best to sound and appear as normal as possible.

"that's about it. he didn't seem to have anything to say back, other than to laugh in my face. and frankly, i don't want to look at his ugly mug any more than i hav'ta. at least for now."

It was the first small slip of anger she'd seen since he'd returned, but it revealed just how fragile his current composure actually was beneath that well mastered mask. Seeing that almost made her second guess what she was about to do, but she knew that keeping what she'd done in his absence under wraps wouldn't do anything but hurt them both in the long run.

"Part of that may have been because I talked to him while you were gone." She admitted bluntly. "I had a lot of things I needed to say to him, and he was certainly chatty. But it left him in a rather weary state."

Sans did looked surprised by that, and his eyelights wavered slightly with some emotion that she couldn't quite catch before the moment passed. But any tension that might have been there evaporated just as quickly as it had come.

"hmm… guess that makes sense." He conceded with another shrug, slipping his hands into his pockets.

There was a pause, and his expression hardened slightly with another sudden seriousness.

"did he… say anything that hurt you?"

Though she was somewhat confused by his tone, the question was not an unexpected one. She shook her head, giving him a reassuring look.

"No dear. He certainly tried to get under my skin plenty of times, and attempted to reopen old wounds, but I was prepared for that. It was not a pleasant experience by any means, and I did lose my patience more than once. But I am glad that I got to say the things I did without being driven to doing something I would have regretted."

He hummed softly in acknowledgement, looking down at nothing in particular. His expression was rather unreadable, and for a moment, Toriel worried he might have found some reason to be hurt by her decision to speak to his father again. But rather than probe deeper on that, he instead leaned to the side a bit to look at the open pantry behind her.

"whatcha' doing?" He asked, changing the subject rather quickly.

In usual circumstances she would be cross at him for that, but in this case she was more than happy to move on to talking about something else. Even if the subject wouldn't be as much lighter as Sans was likely hoping.

"Well... I figured we will need to give him something to eat eventually." She said, turning back to the pantry. "But... I am not exactly sure what I should make for him."

Sans stepped up to her side with a dry chuckle, one that seemed to have a dark edge to it.

"how about a bowl full of the pup's "dog residue."" He suggested, his grin growing tight at the edges. "and throw it in that containment unit so he has to eat it off the floor. he and his cronies did that plenty of times to me."

Toriel couldn't help but wince a bit at his tone. She looked down at him with heavy eyes, soul strained with conflicted feelings.

"Do you... really think I should do that?" She asked earnestly.

He clearly wasn't expecting such a reply and met her gaze in surprise. There was a long moment where he said nothing, where only the wavering glow of his eyelights and the sweat dotting his skull revealed his inner conflict. But then he deflated with a sigh, his sockets only barely remaining open.

"no… " He answered quietly, leaning into her side a bit. "you aren't that kinda person…"

"And neither are you, love." She replied promptly, slipping an arm around him and holding him close for a few moments.

He had nothing to say to that it seemed. Only another strained, quiet chuckle met her ears. He remained in her half-embrace for some time before speaking again.

"i think i oughta go lie down for a bit…" He murmured, all signs of his earlier anger having dissolved into a miserable exhaustion. "then... maybe i'll try to have that talk with pap."

Toriel nodded, running a paw comfortingly down his arm. A small spark of warmth welled in her soul, proud of him for taking initiative on that even in his current state.

"That sounds like a good idea. I am sure you two can find a compromise in what you wish to do." She agreed, leaning down to press a little kiss to the top of his skull. "I will come wake you if anything happens."

A light dusting of a blush colored his cheekbones as he made a soft sound of acknowledgment. But rather than pull away right away, he turned his skull and nuzzled into her side with another sigh.

"wish you'd come with me." He murmured, almost inaudible by how her dress muffled his words.

She smiled a little despite herself and gave him another consoling stroke.

"I know. But with everything going on… one of us should be out here monitoring the situation. At least for the time being. Until we know for sure what our plan is going forward."

The reply that came was a grumble of vexation but also acceptance.

"you're right, as usual." He conceded, offering her a weary smile as he stepped back to face her. "thanks for being so willing to deal with this… i know i haven't exactly been helpful. it's just… this whole thing is so…"

She cut him off by gently laying her paw against his cheekbone and sweeping her thumb across it. He leaned into her touch a bit without hesitation, looking as though he were struggling to keep his sockets open.

"You do not have to explain, love. You were willing to do the same for me when I was faced with something of a similar situation, were you not? And stars knows I had far less of an excuse to be acting the way I was then."

He gave her a brief look for that, a silent reminder not to disparage herself, and that it wasn't truly fair to compare the situations. But she could tell he understood the point of her words as well. She gave him an apologetic smile and another quick little kiss on the forehead.

"I am happy to do whatever I can to help make this easier for you." She assured him. "We are all going to get through this. Now go on and rest."

There was a long moment where she thought he might argue with her, as he stared up at her with a great mix of emotions shining in his eyelights. But he eventually closed his sockets and nodded.

"alright." He agreed softly, before taking a small step back and shooting her a wink. "thanks t. seriously. don't know what i'd do without ya."

Then, in another blink of her eyes, he was gone. With only a faint magical charge in the air signaling the shortcut he'd taken.

...

The doorknob to the guest room felt cold to the touch and far heavier than it should in Toriel's paw. It was if the unnatural darkness on the other side of it had drained it of all its warmth once it had run out of light to consumed. It all sent a chill down her spine despite herself. But she wasn't about to let her nerves get the better of her now. She knew what to expect, and she wouldn't let this drag on into another one of his games.

She was here to give him his food and leave, nothing more, nothing less.

She steeled herself, honing on that singular goal as to hopefully keep any distractions he attempted to present from penetrating her focus. She took a deep breath to settle her inner fire, let it out slowly, then pulled opened the door.

Her attempt at controlled composure was almost shattered instantly once her eyes rested upon the room's prisoner. He was inches from the glass, staring straight at her with empty sockets wide and oozing. The intensity of the gaze was downright oppressive, and the twisted nature of his grin was downright unhinged. It all briefly stopped her in her tracks. He clearly had known she was coming and knew exactly how to unnerve her, the devil. But she couldn't let him get to her. She just had to focus.

"AH… SO YOU DID TRULY INTEND TO PROVIDE ME WITH SUSTENANCE AFTER ALL." The ghoulish monster rasped, even the machine translating his words sounding somewhat slurred.

Toriel ignored the crawling sense of unease in her gut and stepped forward, not breaking eye contact with Gaster. She held out the bowl of food she'd prepared for him, allowing him to see what it was.

"It is just a simple porridge with some soft fruit pieces." She explained, tone flat and devoid of emotion. "I figured you were not exactly in the best state to be eating anything too complicated."

She turned then to the control panel on the front of the containment unit, reaching down to press the sequence of buttons Alphys had told her to use. It opened up a small circular opening in the face of the console and extended out a tray on which to place the meal.

"NOR AM I DESERVING OF ANYTHING BETTER?" Gaster mockingly added to her sentence with a wheezy chuckle. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUSTIFY YOUR COOKING TO ME, TORIEL. I AM CONVINCED YOU COULD MAKE EVEN THE WORST OF CUISINE PALATABLE."

She said nothing as she set the paper bowl of porridge, a bottle of water, and a plastic spoon on the tray and pressed the same button again. The tray retracted and the opening shut tight as the inner mechanisms moved the tray of food through the console to be accessible through Gaster's side of the glass. Only then did he direct his gaze away from her to watch his meal slide towards him.

It opened on his side with a whirring sound and extended the tray out towards him. She watched as his expression shifted into a kind of gleeful amusement as he probed at the food. He didn't use his disfigured hands, which remained hidden in his amorphous form, but instead the long black tendrils that he'd demonstrated before. He wrapped up the spoon in the dark magic and shakily scooped out some of the porridge. All without moving the rest of his body at all. It would almost be fascinating to watch, if she weren't so utterly disgusted by the monster before her.

He popped the spoon into his mouth with hardly any hesitation, a sudden eagerness sending a quiver through his body. It seemed though that his disfigured jaw no longer allowed him to fully close his mouth, so some of the food inevitably spilled out down his skull. But if Gaster cared about or even noticed that fact, he did not show it.

"NOT POISONED? HOW SURPRISING." He chuckled before narrowing his sockets at her. "BUT THEN AGAIN, I GUESS THAT WAS YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE HUMAN CHILD'S CALLING CARD, NOT YOUR OWN."

He was doing it again, baiting her to anger. She had to resist it, even though those words did make wish for one dark moment she had simply poured every hazardous chemical she had at her disposal into that bowl. It took a lot of willpower to keep her expression stony and say nothing.

Gaster let out a little hum of amusement at her lack of reaction and turned his attention back to his meal, scooping another spoonful of porridge into his twisted mess of a mouth. Despite the act of eating clearly not being easy for him, his sockets crinkled in what seemed to be some emotion close to happiness. One that seemed most alien and unnerving on a monster like him.

"AH, YOU HAVE NO IDEA… HOW LOVELY IT IS… TO EAT REAL FOOD AGAIN…" He rasped out, between rather disgusting attempts at chewing up the food. "I FEEL IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TRULY DESCRIBE THE JOY OF IT…"

It was difficult to tell why he was bothering to say this. More manipulation most likely, but it was probably also true on some level. If Gaster's cold and cruel soul was even truly capable of appreciating small things like that. She met his words with little more than a slight roll of her eyes, eager to leave the room as soon as she was sure he wasn't going to start choking or something out of nowhere.

Upon getting down most of the contents of another bite, Gaster paused in his eating to address her again, dark sockets wide and somewhat gleeful.

"THANK YOU DEARLY, TORIEL." He said with an ironic politeness, as a chunk of uneaten porridge fell off the bottom of his skull and disappeared into the black mass of his body. "SINCE IT SEEMS I AM DESTINED TO REMAIN HERE AS I AM FOR THE TIME BEING, I SUPPOSE I CAN LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF YOUR MEALS GOING FORWARD."

Toriel fought back a sneer. As if she would bother making him anything more complex than what he currently had. Not just out of spite, but out of necessity. His current form could clearly hardly even handle taking in soft foods without a struggle. But he was in fact getting it down. That was her cue to leave.

But as she began to turn to head to the door, he was quick to speak up again.

"HAVE YOU THOUGHT ANY FURTHER ON MY OFFER?" He rasped, and she heard the soft sound of him dropping the spoon back into the mostly empty bowl.

No, she was _not_ doing this again. She kept her gaze firmly fixed on the door and continued walking, even as she could feel his dark sockets boring into her back as she did so.

 _"Goodbye_ , Wingdings." She said coldly, just before hurriedly exiting the room and shutting the door behind her.

It was so fast she nearly felt dizzy, and she leaned her back against the door for a moment to catch her breath. She moved on from there nearly just as quickly though, not at all liking how strangely icy cold the wooden door felt against her back. She hurried to the living room, making sure to slow down just before entering the living room as to not appear too worked up over the whole affair. It was over and done with. She'd done what she needed to and wouldn't have to worry about him again for a while. No need for either of the brothers to get too concerned.

She felt she had managed to decently compose herself as she re-entered the living room. Sure enough, Papyrus was there once again waiting for her. The poor thing looked like he had just about been pacing an anxious rut in the floor, and all but jumped when he saw her. He put on a smile quickly though when he saw the lack of a bowl in her paws.

"AH, SO HE ATE?" He asked hopefully, wringing his gloves a bit before continuing. "DID THE FOOD SEEM TO UM… IMPROVE HIS CONDITION AT ALL? I COULD HEAR THAT HE WAS COUGHING AN AWFUL LOT EARLIER…"

Toriel bit back the urge to say something harsh and dismissive about Gaster and nodded.

"Yes…" She replied, through a weary sigh.

 _"Unfortunately…"_ That part remained only in her mind, but it certainly wanted to leave her lips.

"Though I do not know how long that will last."

Papyrus made a soft sound of acknowledgement, nodding as he continued to fidget with his gloved hands and look towards the floor. When he lifted his head again, it was to look towards the other hallway entrance across the room, the one that lead to the room Sans and Toriel shared.

"DO YOU THINK SANS IS OKAY?" He asked, straightening up a bit more. "AFTER TALKING TO DAD I MEAN… HE WALKED OFF AGAIN WITHOUT A WORD."

She stepped over to his side and managed a warm, if still tired smile. It probably didn't come off as reassuring as she would have hoped, but she would have to work with what she could manage.

"I believe he will be alright, he did not seem quite as shaken up as the first time when he met me in the kitchen earlier." She pointed out, giving his back a pat. "He went to go rest in our room for a while."

"I SEE… I GUESS THAT MAKES SENSE." He replied softly, clearly disappointed Sans had made himself scarce again. It made both things that Papyrus wanted to happen less likely to occur any time soon. "I SUPPOSE I BETTER BUSY MYSELF UNTIL HE WAKES UP…"

He shook himself out of those thoughts quickly and attempted to regain his usual Papyrus enthusiasm.

"OH! I KNOW! I WILL PREPARE MY POINTS THAT I WISH TO DISCUSS IN OUR HEART TO HEART CONVERSATION SO THAT THERE IS NO CHANCE I FORGET THEM OR MISS THE CHANCE TO DELIVER THEM WITH PRACTICED POISE!"

With that, he hurried off to his own room so quickly she nearly missed it when she blinked. She stared after him for a moment, unsure how to feel and secretly wishing he'd come back. She didn't really want to alone right now. It presented too many opportunities to think, and the thoughts that would be waiting to spring on her would not be pleasant in any sense.

She walked over to the window across the room, moving the curtain aside to gaze out at the winter landscape beyond. With the willow's bare, almost skeletal shape looming over the undisturbed sea of white, it painted a picture of muted tranquility. So unlike all the turmoil collectively affecting all within the house.

Seeing the willow inevitably brought back memories of all the times she'd sat under its branches with loved ones… including her children. Their reactions to the news of their impending siblinghood had certainly been mixed then, but things had been slowly changing for the better in that regard, at least until Gaster had decided to abruptly intrude upon their lives.

Change. Now that word stuck out to her, suddenly pushing out all other thoughts. There was a lot of change happening with everyone. For better or worse. But the change that was most on her mind then was that of her son, and what he was going through. There was no denying now that he was showing signs of regaining a soul, or something along those lines, and changing outwardly as well as inwardly in the process. The evidence of him returning to a boss monster like form were clear.

The question simply remained that… how far would such a change go? By the time the little one was born… would he be a whole new monster? Would they grow up never knowing Flowey as he once was, only ever knowing… whatever he became? Be that a monster who resembled her lost Asriel... or someone entirely new.

She rested a paw on her stomach and sought out the little one's magic. They replied with an almost practiced timeliness, assuring her of their presence.

Then her mind drifted towards a shadowy place she had sworn she'd never traverse. But once the thought arose, it couldn't be ignored again so easily. Gaster had… offered her some chance of helping her children through their unique and unfortunate situations. It was a lie obviously. A cruel and twisted manipulation. It _had_ to be. But… on the one in a million chance it wasn't…

For just a few moments, she allowed herself to picture what life would be like with all of her children as their whole, true selves. A little boss monster, two separate young humans, and their future baby sibling. It was a beautiful thought, however selfish it was to dream of. But it couldn't last. Reality was quick to rush back in and steal it away like a bitter winter's wind blowing the last frail leaf off of a tree. Any warm images were replaced with Gaster's vile visage, haunting, pathetic, and full of simmering hatred.

She turned from the window in a hurry then, letting the curtains slide shut. It cast the room in dark shadows as Toriel sank down onto the couch and held her head in her paws, trying not to think of anything at all.

...

She never ended up joining Sans in their bedroom, even as the hours ticked by. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep even if she did go in there. Despite her efforts to withhold it, her mind was racing too much, picking at things past, present, and potential future. And part of her worried that the moment everyone in the house was occupied or asleep, Gaster would reveal some trump card up his sleeve and make a move. After seeing what even his weakened magic could do to that dog…

She suppressed a shudder, imaging thick black tendrils of unnatural magic trying to reach inside her and take hold of her soul. Even if the fear was all in her mind, she wasn't about to take that risk. She stared at that hallway entrance far too long, expecting the shadows within to suddenly start slithering out across the floor…

How long she sat there, she couldn't be sure. At one point where she'd started to make some headway in willing herself to return to the bedroom, she picked up on the sound of the skeleton brothers conversing in the other room. Even with her large ears, she couldn't make out what was being said, but she could only hope Sans was holding to his word and really talking with his brother. If that was the case, it would most likely be a while before she would see either of them, and she wouldn't risk interrupting something that important.

Desperate for any sort of distraction from thoughts of their dark and unwanted houseguest, she ran through a list a chores she could possibly do in her head. That was a big part of how she survived the decades of monotony in the Ruins, burying herself in mindless, endless chores.

In the end though, she just grabbed an old book off the side table and tried to lose herself in the deluge of factoids about the various bug species of the animal kingdom. Usually that could hold her interest and help her kill time. But between worrying about Gaster and fretting over what was happening between the brothers, she found she barely absorbed anything from the pages.

Still, eventually, somewhere between skimming over facts about the camouflaging abilities of Choeradodis stalii and trying to discern if the uniquely colorful Cuban land snail would be as tasty as other snails she was used to eating, a sound alerted her to the fact she was no longer alone. Somehow she'd missed the flash of light, but Sans was suddenly there beside her, sitting on the couch as though he'd been there all that time.

By now, his sudden disappearing and appearing acts no longer phased her. She barely so much as blinked in surprise to see him, and gently shut her book on a cartoony inchworm shaped bookmark before setting it on the coffee table. As relieved as she was to have his company again, there was no ignoring the heavier aura he brought into the room with him.

Just from what she could see of his face, she could tell her suspicions about what he and his brother had been discussing were in fact correct. It was something that needed to happen, Papyrus had made that clear. And it would be better for both of them in the long run… but that didn't mean either of them were going to get through it unscathed. The reappearance of their father had dredged up emotions and baggage between them that could no longer be ignored.

So she did her best to be gentle in contrast to what had clearly been a very difficult conversation. Even with the progress Sans had been making, she had little doubt that he was nearing his tolerance threshold. If she pressed too hard regarding what had happened, he would likely shut down as he used to, or at least make himself scarce for a while.

Still, he had come back to her in the wake of it all rather than retreat somewhere to brood over it alone. That meant, on some level… he must want to talk about it.

"...How did it go, dear one?" She asked softly, subtly offering her paw to him beside her.

At first, she thought perhaps he hadn't heard her, as he didn't so much as look in her direction. Concerned, she searched what she could see of his face in the low light. But her gaze was pulled down when she felt his small hand slide into her paw. With that, it was like he had suddenly woken up and turned to meet her gaze. His eyelights were dim in sockets drooping with weariness, but he still managed a strained grin.

"about as well as it could… i guess." He rasped weakly, as though even his magically conjured voice was worn out.

He threaded his phalanges with her much larger fingers as he continued speaking, looking back down towards his lap.

"we came to an agreement in the end. we're gonna keep gaster in that thing, but i guess we won't... treat him like he treated us. we'll, y'know, give the old bastard a bed, some meds, and keep him fed or whatever until his rotten expired body finally gives out on him. no stopping that after all. and we'll let everyone get the closure they need by talking to him before that happens."

He set his jaw and let a tight breath whistle out from between his teeth.

"including pap…"

She gulped a bit at that, unable to keep from feeling the same dread from before. The idea of Papyrus interacting with such a malicious, conniving creature made her feel sick. And surely it could only be even worse for Sans. But allowing it was likely the only way to ensure such a meeting happened safely, and keep any rifts between the brothers from growing deeper.

"I see… that is quite a compromise on your part." She replied, running her thumb over the bones that made up the back of his hands. "That must be difficult to contend with. But I am glad you were willing to respect your brother's feelings in this situation. I am sure we can figure out a way to ensure it will be safe for him."

He said nothing, just gave a half-hearted shrug with soft sound of acknowledgment. His eyelights were still staring blankly at things unseen, shifting in and out of focus. It didn't seem that Papyrus' now inevitable meeting with Gaster was the only thing on his mind. She looked him over again, spotting obvious signs of just how difficult his talk with Papyrus had really been and feeling she should no longer ignore them.

"Though, I somehow doubt that is the reason you have been crying, is it not?"

He stiffened a bit at that, and his eyelights flicked over to look at her again. There was a moment where she thought he might deny it, or make up some excuse. But the evidence was plain as day even in the low light. Unfortunately for him, tear tracks don't fade from bone anywhere as fast as they do from skin or fur.

In the end though he just shut his sockets with an empty chuckle.

"heh, we uh… ended up talking about a lot more than just… ol' g."

She nodded a little in understanding, soul panging for him. It was one thing for her to have heard all of Papyrus' long withheld frustrations, but for Sans... it had to have been truly devastating. The gesture must have been enough that he recognized she already knew what he was talking about. That only appeared to make him feel worse. He covered his face with his free hand and let out a shaky sigh.

"i've really done wrong by him, haven't i?" He asked, just barely loud enough to hear.

The pain in his voice seemed to strike at her soul, making it momentarily hard to speak around the sudden lump in her throat.

"We have all perhaps treated him in a way he did not deserve, but it was never out of malice, my love. Especially on your part." She reasoned, giving his hand a light squeeze. "I am sure he assured you that he understood that, did he not?"

From the way his expression slightly shifted then, she could tell she was right in that regard. It did little to diminish the guilt Sans was feeling though. What's more, he was clearly holding back from saying something. He nodded to her, but his gaze was still fixed on something unseen and far away.

"he wants to go to college." He abruptly forced out, voice strained with clashing emotions. "like, a big college, overseas. next year. apparently his engineering professor recommended him for the opportunity. i had no idea."

She blinked. Now _that_ she didn't know… The news summoned up a rush of conflicted emotions both joyous and sorrowful. It was an incredible opportunity and show of Papyrus' success! But… to imagine him being so far away for so long... She'd only known Papyrus for a short time in the grand scheme of her immortal life, but she could already hardly imagine a life without him.

She couldn't let herself dwell on it all for the moment though. Sans had more he needed to say, and she needed to do what she could to support him. Another raspy chuckle escaped him, and he dragged his hand down his face to let it fall into his lap.

"he said he was hesitating accepting because he was worried about how i'd react." He went on, shame making his voice crack a bit at the edges.

Subconsciously, she moved a little closer, allowing him to lean into her more.

"What did you tell him?" She asked gently.

"heh, i'm not about to be the reason he doesn't do something that great for himself. especially with how excited he is about the idea." He said, voice briefly trembling a little. "how could i, after hearing about how i've been making him feel awful all this time?"

A sad and sympathetic little hum left her, and the image of Papyrus' conflicted expression from earlier rose up in her mind.

"You did not expect that you were upsetting him with your actions and the way you were talking to him, did you?" She asked, guilt seeping into her own expression. "I was… caught off guard by that realization as well."

"i mean, i figured i wasn't always doing right by him, hell, i _knew_ i wasn't." He shot back quickly, barely even managing to force a chuckle at that point. "i just… couldn't stop thinking about him being my lil bro, and treating him like i always have… but he's growing up, no, he has been grown up past how i was perceiving it for a long time. i was just too blind and stuck in my ways to see it. i never realized how much it got to him. and i hate that i made him feel like that."

The words were tinged in a creeping level of self-hatred, and she could see that he was struggling not to speak much more cruelly about himself. He pulled his hand away from her to sink his skull into both of them, wheezing out another fake laugh.

"you know what the worst part is though? deep down… he was right to worry." He said into his hands, sweat beginning to dot his skull. "i don't know… if i'm ready for him to leave. hell, i don't know if i'd ever be. i've never… i've never had to be without him. at least not like this, and for so long…"

He trailed off and the soft sound of his bones rattling as he trembled began to make itself known. She looked him over for a moment with her soul aching in her chest. It had been some time since she'd seen him this shaken up. And who could blame him… for all this to come out now, right after their twisted father's reappearance in their lives. It was almost poetically cruel.

Her own mind wanted to fall into a spiral of thoughts and difficult emotions regarding Papyrus' leaving as well, and the little one within her certainly wasn't helping matters. But she knew she needed to push them aside for the moment. Right now, she couldn't afford not to keep her focus on her dear skeleton. Carefully, she shifted a little closer and eased an arm around him. He accepted and leaned into her touch right away, so she gently scooped him up into her arms.

The turbulent emotions of his soul radiated out to her own, and she was unable to keep from squeezing him tight for a few moments. Her own emotions swelled and threatened to overwhelm her, but she manage to keep her voice warm and level.

"We still have a year to prepare for that, dear one. He will be here to meet the baby when they come, and experience another whole years worth of holidays and special events. It is not as though he will be leaving overnight. And I am sure that, excited as he is, it is something he is greatly nervous about as well."

She rested her cheek against his skull and ran her paw down his back, noting and knowing every soft bump of his spine.

"I know it must be a shock… but we will be as ready as we can be for it when the time comes."

Her assurance was only met with silence from him again, and she could feel the small tremors running through his slight frame. This wasn't something that she was going to be able to make easier for him in so few words. She gave him a little nudge against his cheekbone with her muzzle, attempting to coax out whatever more he clearly wanted to say. An uneasy sigh escaped him, but he got the message.

"yeah but… what if he decides he likes it better over there and doesn't come back? hell, wh-what if it turns out that he's suddenly so much happier because... he doesn't have to put up with me anymore?"

The words tumbled out in a shaky manner, and she could tell he somewhat regretted them. Their implications struck her soul harshly, but didn't allow them to shake her from what she knew to be true. She slowly shook her head, holding him close for a moment.

"We can never know what the future holds my dear, or how it will affect the connections we have with others. But I hold full confidence that your brother will always love you Sans, and that though it will certainly be hard at first, maybe you both will find that some time apart will strengthen your bond in ways that could not happen here." She reasoned, pushing positivity into her voice. "Did he not say something similar to you earlier, in his own unique way?"

Again, she could tell from his small change in expression that she was right in that regard. It was a relief, for no matter how much she reassured him of these things regarding his brother based on her own point of view, Sans needed to hear it from Papyrus himself as well.

"he did…" Sans confirmed quietly, before giving his shoulders a shrug. "or well, not in so many words. i tried not to let on how… how much the idea stresses me out. but i don't think i fooled em, heh. my poker face aint what it used to be."

Another weak peal of chuckles escaped him then, and his grin grew more unsteady. He turned his head a bit and pressed his face into the crook of her neck. The next few uneven breaths that escaped him tickled the fur there.

"there's just so much happening…" He rasped out, sounding almost bewilderedly amused by it all. "would b-be nice if things would slow down a little, heh."

The quip was enough to coax a brief, weary smile out of her too. It felt like they were both caught up in some great whirlwind, clinging tight to one another in order to prevent the gale from overtaking them. But even in the face of all that, a bit of humor allowed them to keep grounded, if only just.

"I know." She sighed, shutting her eyes for a few moments. "Right now though, we are all here, everyone is safe, and everything is going to be alright. Just... take a moment to breathe."

He did so, following her lead as he did. But not without another small chuckle escaping him in the process, one that sounded just a little bit less fake.

"heh, isn't that the t-technique you've been doing for yourself lately?" He asked, voice still trembling a bit.

"Yes, a lot is changing for me too, after all… plenty enough to stir up my anxieties..." She replied, going back to rubbing small circles into his back to comfort him as well as herself.

"Sharing custody of the children is a lot harder than I thought it would be… and as strange as it sounds… I am almost afraid of them growing up…"

A fresh wave of pain washed over her soul as the words left her, and Sans took notice. He shifted back a bit in her arms, trying to meet her gaze. But she didn't return it, briefly caught up in feelings of shame.

"I have never been able to see any child of mine grow into their teens. I fear I will not know how to properly handle that, or be able to provide the different sorts of guidance they will need. And what of this child of ours that is coming? What sort of new challenges will they present that I could be unprepared for? What if I am not as fit to raise a newborn as I had been back when I was Queen?"

As hard as it was to speak all those fears of hers aloud, it also allowed them to leave the tight confines of her chest and let her breathe a bit easier. Those things had been lingering in her mind for far too long without being addressed. This was only the first step of that, and would likely not progress further given the more pressing situations now surrounding them all. But… it felt good deep down, it right. And as was often the case, seeing her dear skeleton show bravery in sharing his own innermost turmoil helped her do the same.

For the moment, the pain dwindled to a simple dull ache within her. And even that was further numbed when she felt him reach up and run his phalanges soothingly over one of her long ears. She met his gaze and smiled at him, far stronger than before.

"But I know we can both face these things as they come." She said, leaning into his touch a little. "You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, my love. And I promise, I will be here beside you through whatever comes next. You will not have to face any of this alone."

His eyelights softened at that, and grew more steady. His gratitude for her words was clear, but his expression also shifted in a way that seemed to imply they had also made him recall something.

"hm, now i-i've definitely heard you say that before…" He pointed out with a more genuine smile of his own.

She stifled a small giggle, intending to apologize for her apparent lack of originality when it came to words of encouragement. But as his other hand rose up to rest on the other side of her face, it stole away all her focus from anything else. His thumbs swept through the fur on her cheeks, and though his hands still shook a little, he seemed fixated enough on returning her vows for his own fear to release some of its hold on him.

"we both know i'm still no good at phrasing it as well as you do, but… all the same goes for you tori. of course, y'know?" He assured her, clearing his metaphorical throat to hide a more noticeable shake in his voice before continuing. "i'll be here for you through all of it… things are really crazy at the moment, but i'm gonna keep my skull on straight as much as i can and take care of you too. i know you need it, especially right now."

He hesitated, brow ridges knotting together before his expression hardened with resolve.

"i... i won't let all this send me spiraling again." He vowed, keeping his gaze firmly locked with hers.

The declaration made her soul pang a bit within her. Part of her just wanted to assure him that she'd be fine and he should focus on himself and his brother whilst Gaster continued to be an unwanted intrusion in their lives. But deep down, she knew as well as he did that Sans was right. No matter how either of them was individually shaken, they'd need to both rely on one another to get through all this as best they could.

Her soul grew warm within her as tender emotions for him swelled. A silent communication and mutual appreciation passed through their gaze and she pulled him into a more proper hug. The air around them both felt a bit lighter as she did, if only for the moment.

They were both quiet for a brief time, but then he spoke up again, voice slightly muffled by their tight embrace.

"and i uh… swear i won't end up bawling all over ya like i did _that_ night, heh." He said, tightening his grip on her by degrees.

She smiled sympathetically and lightly brushed her cheek against the side of his skull.

"You know I would not mind, even if you did." She assured him quietly. "I have found that sometimes... a few tears can be what prevents such emotional wounds from opening further."

He didn't offer a direct reply to that other than to relax a little more in her arms. But she did notice the emotions she could feel from his soul intensify, as if he no longer was attempting to restrain them as much. If he decided to follow her bit of advice or not, she couldn't say, but she still considered that to be a small sign of progress. She made an effort to break down whatever walls currently surrounded her own emotions as well, letting the unseen meeting of their magic be mutual and calm.

The two of them just held one another for a while, letting all the overhanging stress and fear be pushed aside just for that short time. They couldn't afford to ignore it entirely, but they both truly needed that break. It was if the two of them had pulled themself out of a churning sea onto a little desert island, finding a moment of peace in the eye of the storm.

She was surprised when it wasn't her who eventually pulled them back into reality, but Sans. He drew in a steadying breath before backing up a bit, willing her to look down at him again. His eyelights had gone out, but the heavy feeling of stress he'd initially brought with him into the room had eased considerably.

"we gotta tell the others tomorrow." He said, quiet and resolute. "about gaster… about all of it. and i'll let pap make his big announcement too, of course. when he's ready."

She smiled warmly at the show of bravery on his part and pressed a little kiss against the top of his skull. Hopefully he too saw the significance in how far he'd come in that regard.

"Yes, I believe that is the right thing to do." She agreed, eyes shining a little with pride as she did so.

Once the inevitable bright blue glow to his cheekbones had faded and they'd both shared another meaningful look, Sans' expression began to sober up one more. Concern once again became evident on his face.

"you gonna be okay letting the kids… see _him_?" He asked, sweat drops dotting his skull. "you know there's no way in hell we are going to be able to keep frisk from talking to the old bastard. there's no stopping that kiddo's determination once they're set on something."

Toriel swallowed hard and worried her lip with her fangs. She wanted to emphatically deny Gaster any access to her children under any circumstances. She didn't want that wicked beast to even _look_ at her children. But Sans was right… Her child had proven time and time again that they will do whatever they feel is right, no matter how others try and dissuade them. And they almost certainly would want to see the mysterious dark stranger trapped in their spare bedroom.

"I am well aware, as much as I wish it were not so." She said, taking a slow, steadying breath before continuing. "I suppose one of us will just have to be in the room to monitor the situation. I shudder to think of how that vile monster may try to manipulate them. Especially if he tries presenting them with the same "offer" he did me."

Sans blinked at the word, the concern in his eyelights suddenly deepening.

"what... offer?"

The sudden shift in his emotions surprised her, and that deep uneasiness she'd felt earlier when around Gaster began to swirl around her soul again. Like a predatory bird who had just caught sight of some small prey animal far below. She fought back against the sensation, convinced she was overreacting, but she shared the truth with him regardless.

"Right as I was leaving, Wingdings tried to offer me some apparent "knowledge" he has that he believes could possibly… safely separate Chara and Frisk, and could provide Chara with a body of their own again. He tried to say it was him "repaying an old friend one last time" or some other worthless platitude." She shook her head dismissively, expression and tone both full of disgust. "Utter nonsense I am sure, nothing more than another pathetic attempt to get to me through my children. As if someone who despises humans as deeply as he does would ever earnestly offer to help one."

She looked at him then, expecting and perhaps hoping to see him looking reassured that Gaster's "offer" was nothing to be worried about. But the concern had not left his face. He'd simply dropped his gaze down to his slippered feet, eyelights wavering the way they did when he was thinking deeply about something.

"yeah…" Was all he eventually got out in response, all the while still looking to be consumed by whatever thoughts were running through his skull.

Silence once again fell over them, and Toriel internally wrestled with what to say in response. She expected that if she wasn't the one to speak up again, he would keep quiet. And she now had a lot of questions regarding Sans' reaction to Gaster's unusual "offer". But surprisingly, he was again the one to break the silence. He snapped back to his usual demeanor rather quickly, suddenly seeming eager to move away from the subject.

"i'll call al in the morning, let her know she can spill the beans, and then we'll go from there." He vowed quietly, leaning into her again and easing his sockets shut.

She hesitated a moment before replying and reciprocating the bit of affection, her head still buzzing with questions. But inevitably her own uneasiness with the subject and her own weariness led her to let it go.

"Sounds good to me." She said warmly, squeezing him lightly in return before starting to prepare herself to stand with him in her arms. "Come now love, we both need to rest."

He allowed her to lift him without protest, seeming more than content with being carried by her. Once she'd risen to her feet though, a different sort of pang to her soul than the ones she'd been experiencing through her talk with him sparked a realization in her.

"Goodness me, I was so caught up in everything that was happening that I forgot to make dinner…" She fretted, only then feeling how hungry she was.

It was a foolish oversight, especially considering she was currently eating for two. Skipping meals at a time like this was out of the question. And the idea of Gaster being the only one in the house to have a decent meal tonight? Simply unthinkable. But if she were being fully honest, she wasn't sure she really had the energy to cook anything substantial at the moment.

"s'okay tori." Sans replied, giving her arm a few pats. "howzabout we make tonight a pizza night, then we can snooze it all off."

She internally winced a bit at that. Pizza was… not exactly ideally healthy, and she'd been trying to keep to a healthier diet while going through her pregnancy. But she supposed it wouldn't hurt to have a slice or two every once in a while, especially in situations like this. She couldn't deny how delicious the dish often was either. Before coming to the surface again, she'd never tried anything like it.

"Very well then." She agreed, giving him a little nuzzle. "But only if we get one that at least somewhat healthy, and one with some _Pap_ -a-roni for your brother."

The pun struck true, and without missing a beat the skeleton was chuckling away as though they'd been doing nothing but sharing terrible jokes all day. It one of those strong laughs that made his bones rattle a little, and hearing it then was especially delightful.

"sure thing." He agreed with a wink, before giving her a playful poke. "careful though tori, at a time like this, he'll probably find pizza puns way too _cheesy._ "

What a pun. So utterly awful that she couldn't help but snort and barely hold back a boisterous display of her own laughter. The weight on her soul briefly lifted, allowing it to feel warm and fuzzy once more. If only for a little while.

It would never stop amazing her how quickly a few puns could have them smiling and giggling with all the exuberance of immature children even in the wake of such heavy emotions. It echoed their way of connecting during those days when a door divided them, and to still have that now was something her soul would always hold dear. She truly hoped that that aspect of their relationship would never change.

But even with her jovial mood momentarily restored, something still nagged at her mind as she watched Sans tap through the pizza delivery's website on his phone on their way to Papyrus' room. She couldn't seem to get the strange look she'd seen in his eyelights in that one moment out of her mind. When she'd mentioned what Gaster had said regarding her children... What was it about his father's clearly facetious "offer" that seemed to unnerve him so much?

She supposed for now, she'd try not to worry about it.


	15. Risk and Reward

The tension in the air of the cramped guestroom was thick enough to cut with a knife. More than a dozen eyes all rested on the captive dark spector it contained. Every soul in the room seemed frozen by the distorted gaze of a monster most of them had thought long dead and gone.

It was that very monster that finally broke the icy silence, looking over the ashen faces of his audience with a twisted grin.

"MY MY…." Gaster rasped out, misshapen eye sockets crinkling at the edges. "WHAT A TRULY GLORIOUS REUNION THIS IS."

The ghoulish monster dipped his skull a bit in a stiff attempt at a formal greeting, one that was familiar to those in the room who had once known him well. Usually his hands would have been also involved in the gesture, but the ones he had now simply floated alongside him like two broken puppets on invisible strings, gnarled and useless.

"IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIAR FACES AGAIN." He went on, raising his empty sockets up towards the tallest of his visitors. "ESPECIALLY YOURS, YOUR HIGHNESS."

Toriel could feel Asgore flinch beside her at the words, as though hearing Gaster speak his name had pulled him from a trance. Her ex husband opened and closed his mouth a few times before he could finally get any words out, eyes not moving from Gaster's cracked visage.

"You weren't lying…" He croaked, mixed emotions straining his voice. "It really is him."

The ghoulish monster grinned in response, but said nothing, seemingly just as fixated on Asgore as he was on him. The tense silence didn't have time to build up again though, as Undyne quickly shook herself out of her shock and stepped closer to the glass. She glowered at Gaster with her one piercing yellow eye before turning to look in Toriel and Sans' direction.

"Any of you want to explain why the hell this bastard's still breathing?" She demanded through partially clenched teeth. "And why it looks like he's getting the five star treatment rather than getting smeared across the walls?"

The shock and hint of an accusatory tone was not lost on Toriel, but she accepted it was inevitable. After all, while she herself didn't let such thoughts leave her lips, she would be lying to say she hadn't thought anything similar upon Gaster's arrival. She shared a glance with Sans beside her before letting out a soft sigh.

"Sans and Papyrus made the decision not to do anything… rash." She explained, her own confliction over the situation leaking into her tone despite herself. "He is no threat while contained in there, and we figured it was best to allow those who wanted it to find whatever closure they could while he still lives."

She gave Gaster a sidelong glance, then returned her gaze back to Undyne.

"Besides… given his current condition, I do not expect he will last much longer."

The words did little to satiate Undyne, who growled low in her throat and stomped over to the glass dome until she was face to face with the monster inside.

"Listen you slug, you're lucky that this thing is protecting you. Because if it wasn't, you wouldn't even get to blink before your moldy ass was dust all over the floor." She snarled, jabbing a webbed finger in Gaster's face.

Toriel couldn't help but notice that there was a subtle shake to the fist the fish monster had at her side. This wasn't like her usual hotheadedness, there was a personal anger flooding through Undyne that radiated off of her like heat from a blaze. From his place beyond the glass though, Gaster didn't seem to notice, or more likely, simply didn't care. He grinned at the furious monster mere inches from him, causing a thick trail of black ooze to leak down from the corner of his mouth.

"I AM WELL AWARE OF YOUR CAPABILITIES, CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD." He rasped before hoarsely chuckling to himself. "APOLOGIES, _FORMER_ CAPTAIN. NOWADAYS YOU HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO BEING ONE OF TORIEL'S LOYAL LACKEYS, HAVEN'T YOU? ONE OF THE MANY PATHETIC CONTRIBUTORS TO HER VILE ONGOING EXPERIMENTS WITH FORCING MONSTER CHILDREN TO SHARE THE SAME DEVELOPMENTAL SPACE WITH THOSE OF HUMANS."

That seem to catch Undyne off guard, and it took the fish monster a moment to process what Gaster was even referring to. Her facial fins twitched as she pieced it together.

"You mean the _school_?" She asked, quirking a brow and then rolling her one yellow eye. "Dude, no ones impressed by you talking like a goodamn dictionary. Now shut your damn mouth and listen up."

She rammed the back of her fist against the glass, resulting in a harsh sound that made everyone in the room jump. Toriel's soul skipped a beat as she feared that Undyne's blow would send the chamber shattering into a million pieces, but it held strong, unphased. As did its prisoner.

"What did you do to me back then?" Undyne demanded, baring her sharp yellowed teeth. " _What did you do to my eye?_ "

No one seemed to dare breathe in the wake of those words, and Alphys in particular was noticeably trembling. The lizard monster had indicated to Toriel that Undyne hadn't taken the revelation of how she really lost her eye very well. She had lived her whole life believing that she lost it in an accident as a child that she couldn't remember. She only recalled waking up in a recovery ward bruised and battered, and being told her eye couldn't be saved.

That was of course, before the helmets Alphys designed to restore everyone's lost memories revealed the truth to her. That Gaster had been involved in whatever happened that day.

The ghoulish monster in question was looking over Undyne with a mix of amusement and reflection. His gaze was fixated on her eyepatch, and he seemed almost disappointed he couldn't admire his handiwork that lied beneath.

"YOUR EYE WAS ALREADY BEYOND SAVING." Gaster replied matter of factly, as though giving a report on something as benign as the weather. "YOU WERE INJURED NEAR THE LABORATORIES IN A MINOR CAVE IN WHERE MULTIPLE STALACTITES FROM THE CAVERN ROOF DETACHED AND FELL. AND DESPITE YOU JUST BEING SOME STREET URCHIN, ASGORE WAS ODDLY ATTACHED TO YOU. SO HE BROUGHT YOU TO ME WITH A PLEA TO HEAL YOU. IT WAS CLEAR RIGHT AWAY THAT THERE WAS NOTHING SALVAGEABLE LEFT OF THE EYE, NOT EVEN WITH THE STRONGEST HEALING MAGIC, SO INSTEAD I DECIDED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN AN EXPERIMENT."

Once again, it felt as though everyone in the room had their magic run cold. Though this time, Toriel noticed it was Asgore who looked the most overcome by what he was hearing.

"I REMOVED WHAT REMAINED OF THE EYE AND INJECTED THE EMPTY SOCKET BENEATH WITH A SORT OF… DORMANT FORM OF DETERMINATION I HAD BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH. THE HOPE WAS IT WOULD BE REMAIN SEALED WITHIN THE SOCKET ONCE IT ALL SCARRED OVER AND ONLY RELEASE WHEN YOU WERE TEETERING ON THE VERY EDGE OF DEATH, BUT STILL HAD AN INTENSE DRIVE TO LIVE. PERHAPS ONE DAY LEADING TO A WAY FOR MONSTERS TO ALSO HARNESS THE POWER TO REVERSE TIME WHEN WE FACE OBLIVION."

He stroked his chin in thought with a gnarled hand, seemingly unaware or uncaring of the black ooze that steadily dripped from it.

"I WAS SURPRISED YOU SURVIVED THE INJECTION AT ALL, BUT THEN AGAIN, IT HAD BEEN CLEAR TO SEE YOU WERE THE RESILIENT TYPE. I HAD SO MANY PLANS TO MONITOR YOU TO SEE WHAT POTENTIAL EFFECTS WOULD COME FROM THE EXPERIMENT. I AM TRULY SADDENED THAT I FELL INTO THE CORE BEFORE BEING ABLE TO WITNESS THAT. I'VE HEARD WHISPERS THAT ITS FINAL RESULT WAS TRULY SOMETHING TO BEHOLD."

Undyne's jaw worked, but no sound came out. Both of her webbed hands curled into fists, her single eye burned with rage, and her facial fins flattened against the sides of her face like the ears of an irate cat.

"You… you used me like a goddamn lab rat. Just like what you did to Papyrus and Sans..." She managed to rasp out, seemingly looking straight through the former royal scientist. "I could have died on the table that day, hell I could have died at any point because of what you did to me! I was walking around like a ticking time bomb! I still am! You had no idea what that stuff could of ended up doing to me!"

Gaster hummed thoughtfully, his twisted mouth perking up more at the ends. He moved a little closer to the glass before replying, some black fluid leaking from his empty sockets as he did so.

"AH, BUT WASN'T THAT POWER WORTH IT IN THE END?" He asked, tilting his skull slightly. "I'D SAY IT MORE THAN JUSTIFIED THE RISK. YOU ALMOST DEFEATED THE HUMAN IN THAT FORM AFTER ALL. AND I KNOW YOU FELT THE INCREDIBLE RUSH OF ITS POWER. AH, IF ONLY IT HADN'T ENDED UP OVERWHELMING YOUR BODY LIKE IT HAD..."

Toriel swallowed hard, unable to keep from picturing the fish monster losing form and resembling the current state of the amalgamates. Though in her case, it seemed not even the determination infused within her had been enough to save her in the end. She had still perished in that timeline, while the amalgamates still lived, albeit in a fused, unstable state. Perhaps that spoke to Alphys' abilities in improving on what Gaster started, but Toriel had a feeling she wouldn't see that as anything truly positive. Especially not right then.

For a moment, she thought the lizard monster would be the one to say something next, but it was Asgore that spoke up. Though it sounded as though doing so was causing him physical pain.

"Gaster, you… you did… _what?_ " He asked, stepping over closer and peering down at the monster he'd once trusted so much.

Asgore along with the others had all had their opinions of Gaster rightly soured once they learned of his terrible crimes against the skeleton brothers from Sans. But to hear the more extensive scope of the former royal scientists past sins face to face like this was another matter entirely. Toriel could see her ex-husband was struggling between being enraged, and devastated by how he'd been so thoroughly betrayed and played for a fool by his former friend.

Oddly though, for the first time since everyone had arrived, she saw a hint of… something deeper in Gaster's distorted expression. It was hard to tell what exactly it was, but he didn't look at the king the same way he looked at the rest of them. The ghoulish monster shut his sockets for a moment, and when he spoke again it was far less manic and cruel. It almost sounded like the monster Toriel remembered from back then. Cold, sullen, and analytical.

"YES, YOUR HIGHNESS." He rasped out far more slowly, locking his empty gaze up at Asgore. "REGRETTABLY, I HAD TO CONDUCT MANY PROJECTS WITHOUT YOUR DIRECT KNOWLEDGE, FOR THE GOOD OF MONSTERKIND. YOU HAD SUCH A FRAGILE AND KINDLY DISPOSITION. YOU COULD BARELY STOMACH EXECUTING THOSE VILE LITTLE HUMAN PESTS THAT FELL DOWN HERE. I KNEW THAT YOU WOULD BE FAR TOO DISTRAUGHT TO EVER SIGN OFF ON THE REAL WORK THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO SEE MONSTERKIND FREED ONE DAY."

He looked away briefly, down at the floor of his chamber that been thoroughly stained by the black ooze that made up his steadily degrading form. His face was like a mask, but this time Toriel could see he was actively working to maintain it, rather than it coming naturally. He coughed once then, the first time since they arrived, then he cleared his metaphorical throat and readdressed Asgore just as he would have back when he served the crown.

"I APOLOGIZE THAT I MET MY END BEFORE I COULD TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I COULD HAVE PREVENTED YOU SO MUCH HEARTACHE, AND HASTENED OUR ESCAPE FROM THAT PLACE." He said, dipping his skull a bit. "BUT I SUPPOSE MY EARLY PROJECTS SUCH AS THE SOUL CONTAINMENT CHAMBERS AND THEIR SECURITY MEASURES DID IN FACT PROVE VITAL IN THE LONG RUN. NOT TO MENTION THAT THE CORE CONTINUED RUNNING IDEALLY IN MY ABSENCE, ALL OFF THE CODE AND INFRASTRUCTURE I HAD ALWAYS ENSURED WAS FUTURE PROOFED FOR A SITUATION LIK-"

He was cut off by a peal of coughs more intense than the last, shattering whatever formal aura he'd been trying to give off then. But Asgore hardly even seemed to notice, he was still just staring down at Gaster with agonized eyes.

"Gaster…" The king of monsters said weakly. "How… _could_ you? I trusted you fully… I... I considered you a dear friend, how could you ever think to..."

Something shifted in his gaze then, and the heartache seemed to fade into something more frigid and angry. Still, Asgore held his composure, and used the darkly authoritative voice that only ever emerged in the most serious of situations. It was one that sent sickly shivers down Toriel's spine, and she fought not to let _those_ memories overwhelm her need to stay present in the here and now.

"Just how many of these unapproved projects _did_ you do while holding the title I bestowed upon you, Wingdings?" Asgore demanded, faint hints of smoke visible at the corners of his mouth.

Gaster didn't seem intimidated though. His expression didn't change other than when he finally gave a weak chuckle, looking truly, openly weary for the first time since he'd arrived.

"I FEAR IF I WERE TO TELL IT ALL RIGHT NOW..." He croaked out, as more black fluid flowed down his face in sluggish rivers. "I'D BE DEAD BEFORE I GOT HALFWAY THROUGH, YOUR HIGHNESS."

He wheezed a few times, and his unstable form rippled as though it were going to become even less defined. But he shook himself back into awareness as if the momentary slip had never happened, addressing them all with the same cold confidence again.

"SOME THINGS ARE BEST LEFT TO THE SHADOWS OF HISTORY." He said dismissively, before his expression shifted once more upon meeting Asgore's intense gaze.

As before, it seemed that the hulking boss monster's reaction to all this actually affected Gaster. But Toriel knew deep down that it wasn't about intimidation. Whatever it was, she felt it must be rooted in their shared past, just as his resentment towards her was. But it clearly wasn't resentment that was driving Gaster's reaction towards Asgore. That thought, paired with some stirring of the little one within her, made her feel ill.

The ghoulish monster looked to be considering his options for a moment, appearing for the first time truly conflicted. But as seemed to be the case with everything with him, that hesitation didn't last long.

"JUST KNOW, I DID EVERYTHING THAT I DID FOR YOU AND THE KINGDOM, ASGORE." He declared, with far too much pride in his voice. "THERE WAS MUCH ISOLATED RESULTING SUFFERING THAT OCCURRED THAT WAS KEPT QUIET, YES. BUT THE RESULTS THAT CAME FROM THOSE EXPERIMENTS WERE A BIG REASON THAT THE UNDERGROUND'S ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS FUNCTIONED SMOOTHLY FOR AS LONG AS THEY DID, EVEN LONG AFTER I WAS SHATTERED FROM THIS WORLD."

"And you think any of that _justifies_ what you've done?" Asgore demanded without missing a beat, his voice seeming to rumble like thunder.

Everyone instinctively stayed quiet in the wake of that, and for the first time all eyes were directed away from Gaster. Even for Toriel, who had witnessed those rare moments of true anger from Asgore more than anyone else, was unable to keep a slight chill from running down her spine at all the raw magical power that emanated from him then.

She pulled Frisk and Flowey a little closer to her, wishing she could take them out of the room away from this. But Frisk was fully tuned in on the situation, seemingly unafraid. And Flowey just stayed quiet, watching it all unfold as though it wasn't even all that impressive to him.

Gaster seemed equally stone faced, but in his case Toriel couldn't shake the feeling that it was an act. Still, he didn't flinch away from the two burning blue and orange eyes bearing down on him. He broke the rising tension with a raspy chuckle.

"ASGORE, OLD FRIEND…" He said, slowly shaking his head. "YOU OF ALL MONSTERS WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES WE MUST SACRIFICE MORALIZING FOR ITS OWN SAKE IN ORDER TO SEE TO THE GREATER GOOD."

That appeared to give Asgore a moment of pause, some of the fire in his expression fading. But Undyne by contrast only had her anger reignited.

"Don't you _dare_ compare yourself to him!" She hissed, magical energy sparking around her fist as she resisted the urge to summon a spear. "You're sitting in there relishing in all the shit you did, you don't have one ounce of remorse in that rotting soul of yours. Asgore is nothing like that and you know it."

Gaster appeared quite amused by Undyne's outburst, and clearly took pleasure in countering her words.

"ONE'S REACTION TO THEIR OWN ACTIONS MATTERS NOT IN THE END." He rasped, narrowing his uncracked socket slightly. "WHAT WAS DONE WAS STILL DONE. WE BOTH TOOK THE LIVES FROM "INNOCENT" PEOPLE IN ORDER TO WORK TOWARDS MONSTERKIND'S FREEDOM. I AM SURE THE GHOSTS OF THOSE WHO DIED BY OUR HANDS CARE NOT IF THEIR KILLER WEPT IN THE AFTERMATH."

He chuckled darkly to himself then, but it also seemed to be an attempt at masking another cough.

"I SIMPLY KEPT THE MINDSET THAT WOULD BEST AID IN KEEPING PROGRESS MOVING FORWARD, RATHER THAN BE DISTRACTED BY SUCH EMOTIONS."

Undyne, unable to think up something to say in the same quick manner, growled deep in her throat and stepped threateningly closer to the glass. But Asgore's large paw resting on her shoulder had her stop. Asgore's expression still carried a lot of well masked anger, but it was more numb than before. He shook his head solemnly.

"He wishes for this anger, Undyne." He pointed out, guiding the fish monster back to stand beside him. "There is no point in arguing with him further."

Undyne grit her teeth in a defiant snarl but eventually conceded with a sigh, the sound strained. Gaster just smirked, looking as though he were holding back another smug chuckle. With silence threatening to creep in on the situation once more, Toriel dreaded who might blow up at the dark prisoner next. Her soul all but dropped within her when she felt Frisk shift a little closer to the glass dome.

She tightened her grip on them by instinct and Frisk looked up at her. She could read what they wanted just from the look in their eyes. She wanted terribly to say no, to offer some excuse why they shouldn't speak to the imprisoned monster before them. But she knew that if it didn't happen now, it was liable to happen later, without anyone present that could ensure their safety. Still, it took just about all of her willpower to release her hold on them. Her newly freed paws trembled, but she felt a familiar skeletal hand slip into one of them and that steadied her enough to not be swallowed up by her fears.

Frisk gave her a reassuring look before taking a few steps closer to the containment chamber. Gaster noticed their approach and leered down at them, regarding the child like a great black serpent would a mouse, waiting for the moment to strike.

"DO YOU HAVE SOME VILE LITTLE QUERY FOR ME AS WELL, HUMAN?" He asked, leaning his unsettling, disfigured skull closer to Frisk's level.

Even with all the incredibly imposing and terrifying perils Frisk had faced back in the Underground, the child couldn't help but be intimidated by the ghoulish monster. They held their ground regardless though, fidgeting a bit before speaking up.

"W-why?" They asked aloud, voice somewhat weak from disuse.

Gaster's less mangled socket twitched in annoyance, and Toriel saw a few tendrils of his shadowy form curl and twist.

"I AM AFRAID YOU WILL HAVE TO BE MORE SPECIFIC THAN _THAT_."

Frisk nodded, indicating they'd intended to do just that from the start. Toriel felt a twinge of both anger at Gaster and sympathy for her child. Frisk still avoided speaking aloud when they could, save for certain circumstances. They clearly deemed this situation as warranting it, even though Gaster would understand their signing if they had chosen that route. They took a steadying breath and continued.

"Why do you hate h-humans so much?" They asked with a bit more strength behind it.

The imprisoned monster let out a mixture of a scoff and a hiss as he drew back from the glass a bit, disgust flashing across his disfigured features.

"ARE YOU DAFT? YOUR KIND SEALED US AWAY AS SOMETHING TO BE FORGOTTEN, LEFT US ALL TO ROT AND DIE IN THE DARKNESS JUST FOR BEING UNLIKE THEM. THEY SLAUGHTERED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF US, INCLUDING EVERY MEMBER OF MY FAMILY. THEY ARE CALLOUS, HOLLOW BEASTS WHO BREED MISERY AND DEATH BY THEIR VERY NATURE."

He paused, panting and choking slightly on the black fluid spilling from his mouth. But not even that stopped his twisted visage from exuding hatred.

"AND YOU... HAVE THE GALL TO ASK WHY I HATE THEM? NONE OF THE SUFFERING ALL OF YOU ARE RAGING AT ME FOR WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF NOT FOR THE EVIL OF YOU HUMANS."

He'd rasped out that part more slowly, though Toriel couldn't tell if it was because of a return to levelheadedness, or his pitiful state catching up with him. Frisk hadn't flinched from anything Gaster had said. They gazed up with a mixture of curiosity, unease, and that small touch of pity they had even for monsters as vile as the one before them.

They fidgeted uncertainly before clearing their throat, putting forth the attitude they often displayed when they fulfilled their ambassador duties.

"I'm sorry." They said, lightly laying one hand on the glass. "I'm sorry that humans did that. I'm… I'm trying to make things as right as I can."

Toriel's magic turned sickly within her at that. Frisk shouldn't feel the need to apologize to Gaster of all monsters. Amongst the many fiery and torturous things that a monster like Gaster truly deserved, an apology from her child certainly wasn't one of them. There was no stopping Frisk though, it was simply their nature. She only hoped no one in the room had been unintentionally hurt by their choice to engage with Gaster this way. She tightened her grip on Sans' hand by degrees, just in case.

Unsurprisingly, the ghoulish monster didn't show one shred of appreciation for Frisk's words or what they represented. They only seemed to incite the dark, manic side of him more.

"YOUR APOLOGIES MEAN _NOTHING_." He spat, spattering the glass with specks of black. THEY ARE ESPECIALLY EMPTY COMING FROM YOU, WHO HAD AT ONE TIME FAR MORE DUST ON THEIR HANDS THAN I EVER DID. YOU THINK YOU ARE ABOVE YOUR HUMAN NATURE, BUT YOU ARE AMONGST THE VERY WORST YOUR KIND HAS TO OFFER."

It was a struggle for Toriel to bite back the words she wanted to shout in Frisk's defense. Her child had shot her a reassuring look over their shoulder, but she could still see that their eyes were haunted. The words were clearly not new to Frisk, having admitted to tearing into themself with such thoughts in the past. But they'd dealt with it enough to know how to keep the weight of their past actions from crushing them entirely.

"I understand." They said softly after a moment, slowly taking their hand away. "But if that's the way you feel… why do you want to help me and Chara?"

The shadow that seemed to be hanging over Gaster's face lifted then, and he grinned with smug condescension once more.

"CALL IT "SCIENTIFIC CURIOSITY" FOR NOW, LITTLE ONE." He rasped, folding his disfigured hands in front of him. "I DISCOVERED MANY THINGS IN MY YEARS PURSUING THE SCIENCES, SOME OF WHICH I BELIEVE COULD BE UTILIZED EFFECTIVELY IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. I DARE NOT DISCUSS IT FURTHER THOUGH, UNLESS PERHAPS TORIEL AND ASGORE DECIDE TO CONSIDER IT MORE SERIOUSLY..."

He turned his empty gaze in her direction then, and she had to fight the urge to bear her fangs at him. Her son didn't try at all to hide his contempt though, and for once, she was almost glad for it.

"Is this some kind of stupid trick for you to try and convince us to let you out of there?" He scoffed openly. "Because if it is, it's a terrible one."

"OH HEAVENS NO." Gaster insisted, oddly directing the words towards Asgore rather than Flowey, as though actively ignoring the flower monster. "I AM DYING, ASGORE. THERE IS NO STOPPING THAT. I CAN FEEL THIS FORM ROTTING AWAY AS IT WOULD HAVE AGES AGO HAD I NOT STUMBLED UPON A METHOD FOR EXTENDING MY LIFE. A METHOD I HAVE BEEN ASSURED IS NO LONGER AN OPTION FOR ME NOW."

Eyelights weakly flickered to life in his cavernous sockets, fixated intently on the king of monsters.

"NO, MY OLD FRIEND, I ONLY WISH TO DO SOMETHING TO REPAY YOU BOTH BEFORE WE PART WAYS FOR GOOD. I MAY BE TRAPPED HERE, BUT I AM BEING ALLOWED TO LIVE MY FINAL DAYS IN COMFORT, ENJOYING THOSE LITTLE PLEASURES OF LIFE THAT WERE LOST TO ME IN ALL THAT TIME I SPENT IN A SHATTERED STATE. I CONSIDER THAT, AND THE CHOICE TO SPARE MY LIFE FOR THE TIME BEING, WORTHY OF DESERVING SOMETHING ON MY PART IN RETURN."

Asgore said nothing, just continued to stare down at Gaster with a cold expression. Toriel could see her ex husband was thinking deeply though, behind that mask of composure. Gaster waited a few moments more for a reply, but when he got none, he continued speaking.

"OR IF NONE OF THAT RESONATES WITH YOU, YOU COULD ALWAYS JUST CONSIDER IT A FINAL GIFT FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE." He suggested, winking his more damaged socket in a way that felt uncomfortably similar to someone else she knew.

The silence from Asgore persisted, as did his unmoving expression. It remained in place even when he did finally speak up, tone low and contemplative.

"What would this offer of yours… entail?"

" _Asgore!_ " Toriel hissed, furious that he would dare entertain the idea at this point.

Asgore looked at her, eyes finally softening a bit.

"I just want to know what his true motives are here, Toriel." He explained, as she grit her teeth defiantly.

"We are _not_ consideri-" She began, but Gaster spoke over her without missing a beat.

"IT WOULD BE SIMPLE." He assured, coughing once before continuing. "ALPHYS AND THE PROTO- ER, SANS COME INTO THIS ROOM WITH THE CHILDREN AND THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT THAT I WOULD INSTRUCT FOR THEM TO BRING, AND THEN THEY CONDUCT THE TESTS I TELL THEM TO. JUST LIKE OLD TIMES. NO DIRECT INTERACTION FROM ME, JUST TWO MONSTERS THEY ALREADY TRUST."

Toriel's breath caught in her throat at that, not expecting that kind of answer. The strained silence from the others spoke to similar reactions all around the room.

"IT WOULD BE NOTHING MAJOR OR TOO INVASIVE, I ASSURE YOU." Gaster insisted, leaning down to look at Frisk more directly. "IF THE INITIAL SESSION PRODUCES THE RESULTS I AM SUSPECTING THEY WILL, WE COULD MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT PHASE. IF NOT, I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS UNFORTUNATELY A FAILED HYPOTHESIS. BUT FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH, I HAVE YET TO REALLY BE WRONG ABOUT A HUNCH LIKE THIS."

He straightened up confidently and Sans went stiff at her side. As much as she wanted to denounce all the former royal scientist was saying as lies, Sans' reaction suggested to her that there was in fact truth to his words, just as it had the previous night.

Gaster coughed harshly a few more times, watching the resulting black ooze spill off the bottom of his skull and drip down into the indistinguishable void of his body.

"IF YOU DO DECIDE TO GO THROUGH WITH IT, I DO HOPE YOU MAKE THAT DECISION SOON." He rasped out more weakly. "EVERY DAY I FEEL THIS BODY GROWING CLOSER TO CRUMBLING TO DUST, AND MY MIND GROWING FOGGIER. BUT AS I SAID BEFORE, AS LONG AS I AM ALIVE, THE OFFER STILL STANDS."

She and Asgore shared a look, and she didn't like the lack of dismissal in his eyes. He was actually considering this on some level, and it made her feel sick. She was about to tell him as such, but was distracted when Undyne spoke up again. Her tone lacked the same venom and fire as before, but didn't mask its scornfulness.

"There's no way you're doing this out of the "kindness of your heart", hell I bet you don't even understand that concept. You want something out of this, you creep." She hissed, subtly stepping a bit in front of where Papyrus was standing.

The ghoulish monster chuckled weakly at that, elapsing into another brief few coughs before he could muster up a reply.

"NOW WHAT COULD I POSSIBLY WANT AT THIS POINT?" He asked, tilting his skull a bit. "I AM PROPOSING A SITUATION IN WHICH I REMAIN JUST AS MUCH TRAPPED AND DYING AS I AM NOW AT THE END OF IT ALL. AS I'VE SAID THOUGH, IT'S UP TO YOU. YOUR INABILITY TO TRUST ME IS MOST LOGICAL AFTER ALL, FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW."

He looked back down at Frisk and Flowey, something cruel glinting in his empty sockets as he grinned down at them.

"I AM SURE THAT THE CHILDREN WILL DO JUST FINE WITH NO INTERVENTION ON MY PART."

Two dark tendrils rose up from the mass of his body, and he twined them together in an elaborate knot.

"TWO CONSCIOUSNESSES IN ONE BODY, EACH VYING FOR CONTROL. ONE WOULD HAVE TO HOPE THEY'D NEVER HAVE REASON TO ARGUE, LEST THEY SUFFER THE DAMAGE OF WARRING MINDS AND SPIRITS." He said, continuing to twist the dark magic appendages until they wept black ooze like dark blood.

"AND THINK OF THE FUTURE! WILL CHARA REMAIN A CHILD SPIRIT FOR ALL TIME? WILL THEY FOREVER BE CONTENT WITH THAT SORT OF EXISTENCE? WHAT IF THE TWO CHILDREN DEVELOP SEPARATE HOPES AND DREAMS, BUT CANNOT EVER HOPE TO SEPARATELY PURSUE THEM?"

With a final bit of exertion, the two tendrils were pushed to their limits and burst with a shower of black droplets. Toriel felt Frisk go tense under her paws.

"THEN WHEN FRISK ONE DAY PERISHES AS ALL HUMANS DO, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO CHARA THEN? WILL THEY FINALLY DISAPPEAR ALONG WITH THEM, OR WILL THEY STILL BE LEFT AS NOTHING MORE THAN A FRAGMENTED SPIRIT IN THE SHADOWS, DOOMED TO WANDER THIS WORLD ALONE FOR ALL TIME?".

The children said nothing, even Flowey seemed to be struck silent. The adults couldn't seem to find any words either. These were all questions they had pondered before, but had been too afraid to face the potential answers to. Things had been going so well, they'd found a way of living that worked for them all despite her children's challenging states of being. But… it surely wouldn't take much for it all to fall apart.

Gaster knew he was getting to them, so plowed ahead with hesitation. Once he pushed through another wheezing cough that is.

"AND YOU DEAR PRINCE, I CAN ONLY THINK OF A MILLION WAYS YOUR SEEMINGLY IMMINENT TRANSFORMATION COULD GO WRONG." He said, suddenly lurching towards Flowey with wide, wild sockets. "JUST THINK OF HOW DISTURBING AND FASCINATING IT WOULD BE, SHOULD YOU END UP STUCK SOMEWHERE BETWEEN WHAT YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE HOPING TO BECOME? NEITHER PLANT, NOR MONSTER. SOME TWISTED ANOMALY UNLIKE ANYTHING EVER SEEN. PERHAPS ABLE TO FEEL SOME LEVEL OF EMOTION, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO EVER TRULY BE NORMAL."

Flowey glared back up at him, but his wide eyes and lack of a snappy retort betrayed his unease with what was being said. His tiny paw like leaves gripped the edge of his pot noticeably tighter.

"THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU WERE TO SUDDENLY REVERT, AND LOSE ALL ABILITY TO FEEL LOVE AGAIN. I DO WONDER IF THE SHOCK AND HORROR OF THAT COULD DRIVE YOU TO THE SAME EXTREMES YOU DISPLAYED BACK IN THE UNDERGROUND?" Gaster continued, pondering aloud like Flowey was just another theoretical experiment for him to work out his dark curiosities.

"MY MY, WHAT A TRULY INTRIGUING SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES INDEED. IF I WERE NOT OFFERING TO POTENTIALLY ASSIST IN AVERTING SUCH SCENARIOS, OH HOW I WISH I COULD LIVE TO SEE JUST WHERE YOU CHILDREN END UP AT THE END OF THIS TALE."

His twisted features formed an expression that was cruel and mocking.

"THOUGH, I AM SURE YOUR CURRENT STRATEGY OF LEAVING ALL OF THIS TO CHANCE WILL WORK OUT JUST FINE." He rasped out with a wheezy chuckle. "YOUR TRACK RECORD CERTAINLY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF."

Seeing that spark of pure malice in his sockets made it so Toriel could not stand to listen to the wretched monster speak any further. Her magic had been burning within her as she listened to every vile word he spoke to her children, and she struggled to keep it controlled.

"That is _enough,_ Gaster." She hissed, pushing her children behind her and glaring fiery daggers at the imprisoned monster. "You can spew all your rancid manipulations at me until you crumble to dust, but you will leave the children _out of it._ "

Her tone and the smoke escaping between her teeth made it clear there would be no further argument. Gaster didn't argue with her, but she had a feeling that had more to do with his deteriorating state rather than any respect for her. Still, the condescension from before didn't leave the dark voids of his sockets even as he bowed his skull a bit in concession.

"AS YOU WISH, TORIEL." He said, in a tone with a mocking similarity to how he once addressed her long ago.

His gaze did flick back to the children though, and it seemed that he couldn't stop himself from planting one last dark seed of manipulation within them.

"FAREWELL FOR NOW, CHILDREN." He rasped, smiling unnaturally wide. "WE SHALL SEE IF FATE PERMITS US TO MEET AGAIN."

Toriel's self control threatened to fail her entirely. She didn't even realize how tense and fired up she was until a small bony hand resting against her side returned some of her composure. She looked down to see Sans looking back at her. The lights of his eyes carried a silent understanding.

"get the kiddos out of here." He said softly, before his expression hardened again and he turned back to his so-called father.

"that's enough out of you g, there's only so much of your endless rambling anyone can take in one sitting. i'm surprised that twisted jaw of yours hasn't straight up fallen off at this point."

With the casual sounding but still icy insult, Sans had taken Gaster's focus off of her and the children. It was an opportunity to get away from the ghoulish monster that was sorely needed, but some stubborn part of her still wanted to stay and ensure her message had been received. But feeling Frisk press into her a little more drove her to turn around with them and head for the door without looking back at the pitiful remains of her former royal scientist. If anything more was said by him, she effectively blocked it out.

A wordless shuffle of feet signaled that the others were following her out as well, with Sans last to leave the room.

….

By the time Sans did emerge from the guestroom and return to the living room where everyone else waited for him, he practically walked into a wall of questions. Toriel remained silent as he explained the things that had already been discussed with her, but once a lull appeared, she couldn't help but take advantage of it to ask something that had only been growing more and more pressing. Before, she'd resolved not to dwell on it, but after all Gaster had said to the children… paired with Sans' strange reaction from the previous night….

"Sans, is there... more to this "offer" of his than what it seems?" She asked, holding her children a little closer to her.

The unsettled look he shot her way all but answered the question for her, but she still waited expectantly until he finally conceded to answer with an uneasy sigh.

"let's just say… he's done something like this before… kind of." He said, leaning back against the wall. "do you remember… in my old photo album. a little monster that kind of resembled kid, frisk's friend?"

Toriel blinked, casting her mind back to all those images of those lost to the accident at the CORE. There had been many faces in those photos that she had worked to commit to memory, but the one he was indicating had always stuck out to her.

"Yes, the little one in the checkered cloak." She said, sadness edging into her voice. "I had always wondered why they were there, they looked so much younger than the rest of you."

Sans nodded with a grim expression, slipping his hands into his hoodie pockets.

"her name was raine." He said, as his eyelights grew fuzzy for a moment. "she was… one of his… Gaster's... first major test subjects. besides me and pap of course"

That struck everyone in the room dead quiet, and once again it felt as though no one dared take a breath. Toriel could tell Sans was more than a little worn down from everything already, and really didn't want to dig into yet another old wound. But he didn't make an excuse to duck out of the conversation or try and change the subject. He pressed on, even as beads of sweat began to dot his skull.

"she came in like a lot of them would later on when alphys was during her experiments." He explained. "the kiddo's parents had found her unconscious, fallen down, and begged the doc to do something. as far as i can tell, she may have been the first fallen monster to end up in the lab that way."

He blinked slowly, clearly remembering something. But he shook himself out of it and continued, rubbing at his forehead with one hand.

"anyway, he never intended to send her home. he just kept giving them them the run around, tellin' them she was too sick or too weak to be visited, and that he was making progress with her."

His jaw tightened at that, and his eyelights wavered with some dark emotion that didn't fully fade even as he continued speaking.

"but really, he just kept her as another monster to experiment on. for some of his earlier ideas. he didn't inject her with determination like alphys did later on. he used the other soul extracts on her, small bits at a time. from what i witnessed, he definitely used "kindness" and "perseverance" at least, the green and purple stuff, but there may have been others in there too."

"he thought the soul traits when tempered correctly in whatever god forsaken mix he had them in, could work as a binder of sorts to force an artificial soul proxy he'd been developing to adhere to her soul. long story short, it worked. the magic in that "artificial soul" was able to wake her up, and there didn't seem to be any real negative side effects at first either. she was talking and sitting up on her own, not complaining of any pain from it. it even seemed to help her in terms of boosting her weak magic levels..."

If there had been any lightness to his tone as he spoke about this Raine monster, it quickly dissipated as he trailed off. He cleared his metaphorical throat before he could continue, keeping his gaze directed at nothing in particular.

"but of course, it eventually started failing her. her soul started rejecting it, and she was fading again. but that worked out just fine for ol g. he wasn't satisfied with the test fake soul anyway, it was an early project that he retrofitted for the occasion. He had… much more ambitious ideas, and eventually…"

He paused, seemingly debating what he was planning to say next.

"he removed it, also successfully, using an early model of the dt extractor." He eventually said through a sigh. "but it was just so he could try again… but this time... with another living monster subject."

Toriel's breath caught in her throat at that, though she was pained to realize that it was no longer out of surprise anymore. She sensed that the others were experiencing similar emotions, with Frisk noticeably shivering a bit under her paw. Though Asgore still seemed the most affected, his magic all but crackling through the air around them even as his face stayed stony.

Sans didn't leave it all to their imaginations, but Toriel wasn't sure whether to consider that something to be thankful for or not.

"i didn't witness… the process of that. so i can't tell you how exactly he did it." He admitted, shifting uneasily. "but when i saw raine again. she was… a lot more listless and drained looking, and she had a… second pair of eyes on the back of her head. apparently from… whatever other monster he'd fused her soul with."

He lifted one hand from his hoodie pocket, tracing an unsteady heart shape through the air in front of him with a phalange.

"i got a glimpse of it, her soul. or rather, their souls. it was like… when you look at a 3D movie without the glasses on, seeing double, but blurry. though it was clear raine's soul was a lot stronger than the one that had been fused with hers.

"if i had to guess, i'll bet whoever's soul was fused with raine's was a monster like a ghost, or elemental, something with very little body mass, seeing as only the eyes seemed to really manifest from their end from what i could tell." He continued with a small shrug of his shoulders. "i guess you could consider them the first amalgamate… though i suspect they were made by a different method than the ones we know now… since there was no… y'know... melting."

Alphys noticeably winced at that, pulling her tail in around herself with a gulp. Sans shot her a sympathetic glance, but continued speaking regardless.

"this wasn't long before the accident that erased gaster and the other lead scientists from existence… and raine was… unfortunately caught up in it too. just by happenstance."

The absurd unfairness of those words hit her like a punch to the gut. To think of such a young child not only suffering such cruelty, but to then be cursed to the same terrible fate as Gaster and his fellow twisted souls had been? It was enough to make anyone feel sick. Raine been yet another victim, another child no less, to add to the list of those who'd had their lives destroyed by the former royal scientist. A list that surely was far longer than any of them could bear to imagine.

She looked at Sans, her scarlet eyes darkening with sorrow.

"Were you close with her, my dear?" She asked softly.

He looked a little surprised by the question, and considered it for a bit before answering. In the end he simply shook his head with a small shrug. Though grief still seemed to cloud his eyelights nonetheless.

"not really, though in retrospect i wish i had been. it would have been nice to be able to talk to someone else who was going through something similar. maybe i could have done something to protect her, had i not been so… utterly defeated by then."

Shame crept into his voice at that, and she heard the soft sound of his bony hands curling into fists inside his pockets. She was so full of sorrow for him and this lost child that she didn't mentally connect who Sans was talking about with what Gaster had said upon first being contained. Thankfully, Asgore did.

"You mentioned to me before that Gaster claimed the others caught up in the CORE accident were also… brought back at the same time he was?" He said, gaze shifting towards the nearest window. "So there is a possibility that this "Raine" child and the rest of his team may be out there somewhere as well…"

She and Sans both appeared to be hit with the realization at the same time. She _had_ mentioned that to Asgore when briefing him over the phone. At the time she had just been listing off all she could remember Gaster saying with a tone of dismissal and bewilderment, but now it felt as though the claim was possible. If Gaster had returned from his fate from being remembered… perhaps the others really had as well? Some of them deserved to rot just as much as Gaster did from how Sans had described them, but this Raine child… could she truly have finally been freed?

"he... said he saw her in waterfall." Sans said, a small flicker of hope in his eyelights. "i was so damn rattled by seeing him that i totally forgot..."

"I will be sure to look into that…" Asgore assured him. "But it's likely best for now not to spread such information until we can verify it."

Toriel nodded, guarding herself a bit from the possibility that the former royal scientist had only been lying as he certainly would have done without a second thought. Her gaze was drawn down to Frisk then, who had seemed especially clued into the conversation about Raine.

After Asgore spoke, they opened their mouth and shifted a bit as though they were going to say something, but then backed off from it, returning to their silence. Toriel blinked at that, wondering if perhaps Frisk knew something they weren't sharing at the moment. She supposed it may be worth asking them about in the future, but she let it be for now.

Sans didn't allow himself to dwell on the issue further, realizing he'd lost track of why he'd brought up Raine in the first place. No one seemed to have it in them to question him any more on the issue anyway. Not even his brother, who had remained uncharastically silent and still at the outer edge of the group since leaving the guestroom.

"anyway, the point of all that is that gaster _did_ manage to separate two souls from one body before." He reminded them. "albeit… with a fake one."

"Oh gee, well that's encouraging." Undyne cut in, crossing her arms with a huff.

"The situations do not seem meaningfully comparable." Asgore agreed, less bluntly. "And what about in Asr- … Flowey's case?"

Sans shrugged, still not meeting anyone's gaze in particular.

"not sure what he has planned there, if anything. but he kept those human souls stable in their chambers all the time, through all those experiments. he probably has some idea how to do that for a soul that's still forming. i guess."

A single dry chuckle escaped him then, and a strained grin spread on his face.

"or, far more likely…" He went on, shaking his skull. "this is all bullshit and he's toying with us like he always does."

Impulsively, Toriel gave him a look for his choice of language. He winced and his expression shifted to be apologetic before he looked at the children sheepishly.

"sorry kiddos, don't uh… repeat that." He said through another weak chuckle. "sometimes it's hard to keep my cool after having to listen to that guy."

She expected Flowey to cut in with some colorful use of the curse word in question or even one far worse to make a point, but it said a lot about the current situation that he remained silent in Frisk's arms. And it was clearly still Frisk in control as well, the other human child who would be far more tempted to engage in such chances for misbehavior notably still absent.

When she looked down at her child, there was indeed no scarlet to be found in their irises, confirming her suspicions.

"Chara, my child… what do you think about all of this?" She asked gently, kneeling down a little closer to her children's level.

Usually referring to them by name was an ideal way to ensure she could speak with the other resident of Frisk's body, but still no sign of them emerged. Frisk seemed briefly confused by this too, but after sharing whatever silent words the two human children could in their unique state, Frisk just simply shook their head.

(Chara doesn't really want to talk…) They explained, worry clouding their eyes. (They… don't know how to feel about what he said)

Toriel hummed in acknowledgement and sympathy, feeling even more guilty that she'd allowed Gaster to speak to them directly. Putting such pressure and stress on their young shoulders over their current ways of existing was just cruel, especially with all they each already had to worry about.

Frisk fidgeted with their free hand uneasily for a moment, clearly worried about what they had to say next. Toriel gave them a sad, but encouraging smile, waiting patiently for them to gather the will to lift their hand and sign again.

(I… I think I'd really miss Chara if we were split up. I've gotten used to always having them with me.. but…) They paused, expression growing more determined. (If there was a chance they could have another opportunity at living their own life again, like Flowey, I would want that for them. If it were actually possible… and safe, of course.)

They paused, eyes narrowing further in thought before they continued.

(No matter what, he is right about one thing.) They pointed out. (We have no idea how things will turn out for us. We're just going along hoping for the best, but it wouldn't take much for everything to go wrong.)

Hearing that from Frisk made Toriel's magic turn sickly within her. She hated that any of Gaster's rhetoric had managed to stick and cause them anxiety like this. The fact that the concerns may be valid didn't even feel as relevant given that they were delivered specifically as a means of manipulation.

Sans looked conflicted as well, but was managing to stay a bit more level headed than she was at the moment. He recognized that, and was the one to lay a bony hand on Frisk's shoulder.

"well, in any case, nothing's happening unless your parents agree." He said, motioning with his skull to Toriel and Asgore. "gaster is as about as trustworthy as a thousand year old burg, but it might at least be worth trying to figure out why he's so confident about all this. If he knows anything that would be useful to you kids, it would make having to deal with him like this at least somewhat worth it."

He hummed thoughtfully, glancing back towards the entrance to the dark hallway.

"maybe me and al can go back in there and try and press him for more info for now, since i guess he'd want us to be the ones that would actually carry out whatever he was planning to try." He reasoned, looking over at the lizard monster. "think you'd be alright with that?"

Alphys had been notably quiet throughout everything that happened, and was caught off guard by being addressed directly. At first, it looked like she may say no, given how clearly uneasy she still was. But before long she let out a shaky sigh and nodded.

"Eheheh… just like o-old times, huh?" She quipped sarcastically with a strained little laugh. "i g-guess it's worth a shot."

She and Sans continued speaking, but Toriel's attention was drawn elsewhere. Throughout it all, she had found herself growing more and more unsettled by Asgore's reactions to everything. He hadn't yet tried to defend his former friend or insist he was being mistreated, but Toriel could tell he was still struggling with what to do.

The fact that he _was_ struggling with it was what made her so anxious. It should be an obvious answer. They were _absolutely not_ going to be allowing their children to be the willing test subjects of a known mad scientist. It was far too much to risk for what would surely end up being a ruse in the end. Those should have been the words leaving Asgore's mouth, but instead he simply stayed silent, clearly deep in thought.

Sans met her gaze one last time before heading back into the dark hallway with Alphys at his side. A sick feeling rolled through her as she watched them disappear into the gloom. None of them should have to be dealing with this, least of all Sans. Though it was a terrible, dark thought on her part, some part of her wished Gaster would just crumble to dust already. Why must they be tormented with his presence and manipulations when their lives had seemingly finally been heading towards the peaceful future they all craved? Even if he did die now, the new and old scars he'd left would remain.

Once Sans and Alphys were gone, the tension in the air between the two boss monsters became palpable. Asgore noticed the icy looks she was shooting his way and faced her with a weary expression. She struggled against the instinct to raise her voice, something she did her best to avoid around the children, but it was indeed a struggle. Her emotions were boiling up more erratically than normal, no doubt fueled by the little soul she was harboring within her. But she had a feeling her frustration would be getting the better of her in this situation regardless of her pregnancy.

"You are not seriously considering this, are you?" She asked, speaking slowly and narrowing her eyes up at her ex-husband.

Asgore winced at the edge in her tone, but didn't falter. He heaved a heavy sigh, suddenly looking nearly as old as he truly was. With a gentle touch of his paw, he silently warned Undyne not to get involved in what was inevitably to come. For once, the fish monster didn't argue. She was too wrapped up in her own struggles with the revelations Gaster had provided. All she offered was a pointed look in Toriel's direction before she left them to go stand out on the front porch. Papyrus hesitated for a moment with a conflicted expression, then followed after her without a word.

Asgore watched them go, then drifted his gaze over the faces of his children before meeting Toriel's eyes again.

"Toriel…" He spoke her name through another sigh. "All I'm saying is this… I knew Gaster for a very long time, and I witnessed just how adept he was at his craft. And clearly, what I had _not_ witnessed has shown his true colors as a terribly dark and depraved individual, but it does not take away from the fact that he remains the most knowledgeable about the subject of souls. If anyone _could_ possibly do something like what he is proposing, it would be him."

As he spoke, her jaw set and she felt her sharp teeth grit together tightly. It was as she feared, Gaster really had gotten to him with this cruel lie of his. Even with his horrific sins laid bare, the past friendship Asgore had with him was enough for the king of monsters to treat his words as credible. There was that small nagging part of her that was reminding her that she herself had briefly considered the possibility as well, but it couldn't hope to compete with her swirling negative emotions.

"Even after hearing all that… you _still_ can find it in yourself to trust him _?"_ She asked, holding Frisk and Flowey a little closer to her by instinct.

Asgore noticed the gesture, and she could see hurt flicker in his eyes, though he held his composure.

"I just don't want to throw away a potential chance for our children to live the lives they deserve..." He attempted to explain, but she could see his resolve in those words waning even as they left him.

She didn't need to remind him of the flaws in that way of thinking it seemed. But her continued building frustration made it so she had to give voice to her inner thoughts, lest it summon up flames within her throat.

"I will not allow them to be put at that kind of risk." She said, feeling nauseated just picturing the potential dangers. "It has to be a trick. He has to be trying to pull something. And even if he somehow is not, it is just too risky. What if whatever he tries goes wrong? What if it leaves them worse off than they already are? What if…"

All at once, she was flooded with terrible images forever burned into her memory. Chara lying the garden, heaving up bile and blood as the poisonous flowers ravaged their system. The combined form they and Asriel took, torn up from human weapons from horn to toe, steadily crumbling to dust in her arms. A far too small form wrapped up in cloth, cold and still, held close to her chest as she made the long journey to the Ruins. One last glimpse at that same form, just before they were interred into the earth beneath the mountain.

"I will _not_ lose them again!" She burst out, tears brimming in her eyes.

A soft sound of discomfort pulled her back to the present, and she looked down to see that she was holding on to her children far too tightly. Frisk was looking up at her with worried eyes, pulling weakly at her paw. Even Flowey seemed genuinely unsettled by what was happening. Worse still, she could see that her claws had slid out in the midst of her rising emotions. They hadn't pricked Frisk or Flowey, she subconsciously knew how to prevent that it seemed, but that didn't change the fact that the sight of them had not helped matters.

It all summoned up a different memory in her mind, that of her standing in front of a door, surrounded by her own swirling flames, trying to prevent a child from walking into what would surely be certain doom.

By the stars… was she still just as lost as she had been back then?

Though it went against every instinct she had, she forced herself to release her grip on her children and step back a bit, eyes wide. They just looked just as bewildered, but notably far more so for her own sake than the actual subject that had triggered all this.

Asgore took a step closer, triggering something else thought buried within her to rapidly flare up again.

"Toriel, you shouldn't be-"

But she was already turning and hurrying away. She may have managed to stammer out something about "Needing to think this over" or some other pathetic excuse for what was clearly just another instance of her fleeing from a situation rather than facing it, but she couldn't be sure. All she could really process in that moment was an intense need to be away from it all.

Before she knew it, she was closing her bedroom door behind her and shakily lowering herself to sit on the edge of her bed. She lowered her face into her paws and worked to steady her unsettled breathing, along with the torrent of thoughts swirling about in her head. Thankfully, she didn't hear any signs that anyone had chased after her. At least not yet. That allowed her to steadily regain her composure once more, feeling the invisible claws around her soul slowly uncurl and release her.

Embarrassment burned through her in its wake, but she knew that there was a rather good reason her emotions were so erratic lately. It was no excuse for how she acted or what could have happened as a result, but she knew better than to deny that it played a part. It was the very thing Asgore was about to bring up before she fled. What a bittersweet testament to their once close relationship, that she knew exactly what he'd been intending to say.

 _"You shouldn't be getting this worked up right now, think of the baby."_

Something more or less like that. He was right of course, but that didn't quell her feelings of frustration. Thinking of hearing him speak to her like that _now_ just made her feel queasy, though perhaps that also could be contributed to the little one.

She moved then to lay her paw on her stomach and seek out their tiny spark of magic. It met her own quickly, but she could feel they too were unsettled by the whole situation, emitting erratic, tiny pulses of magic through her. Thankfully, it wasn't anywhere near a level she'd be concerned about. That didn't mean she didn't need to be more careful with them though. Her child didn't exactly have a choice but ride the wild ups and downs of her emotional states right along with her, even if they were partly responsible for them.

 _"I am truly sorry, my child."_ She thought to them silently, rubbing slow circles into her belly in an effort to soothe them, and perhaps herself as well. _"I am not blaming you, I am just not handling things as well as I would like to be."_

As if in response, the magic from them steadily evened out again to a normal rhythm. There was a touch of warmness to it too that she'd sensed before, but hadn't given too much attention to. It was enough to tease out a small, sad smile from her.

 _"Now now, the last thing you need to be doing in this situation is trying to comfort me. That is meant to be my job, is it not?"_

Perhaps it was all just foolish silliness in the end to think that her little one was capable of such things yet, but it certainly made her feel a bit better.

She wasn't sure how much time passed then, but eventually she was pulled out of her thoughts by a soft, tentative knock at the door. It wasn't the knock she now knew by heart, but one that was no less welcome. Or rather, it would be welcome had she not just made a massive fool of herself in front of them.

But now that her head had cleared and her emotions had settled, she knew she couldn't possibly keep hiding away. Those were old habits she still had to push through, no matter the situation.

"You can come in, sweetheart." She answered them once she'd taken a steadying breath.

The door slowly creaked open and a pair of soft brown eyes peered at her cautiously from around it. They were joined by Flowey's emerald green, and both still carried different levels of concern over what had happened before.

"Hello, my children." She greeted them softly, turning to face them better from where she sat on the edge of the bed. "I… I apologize for how I was behaving earlier. You two should not have had to see that."

Looking at them almost brought back a flicker of those more intense emotions, thinking of all the terrible things that could happen should the ghoulish monster in the guestroom get his twisted hands on them. But she took another controlled breath and let it out slowly, keeping her expression towards them apologetic.

Frisk stepped over to her and laid a hand on her leg. In their eyes was a question that didn't need words or a sign. She nodded in response, giving her own eyes a brief rub.

"Yes, I am alright, dear one." She assured them, dropping her paw back to her lap. "I suppose I am just… struggling with how to deal with all this. I..."

She suppressed a shudder, resting her a paw on her stomach again. And though her pride was wounded a bit by what she knew she had to say next, she knew that she couldn't deny the possibility that had been hanging over her since her outburst.

"Perhaps... I am letting my fears and my desire to not let Gaster have what he wants get in the way of seeing the bigger picture." She admitted quietly.

"well, you aren't alone in that."

The sudden voice made the children jump in surprise, but not Toriel. She knew Sans well enough know to expect his appearance. Always in a timely manner too, her dear skeleton.

She turned to see Sans sitting behind her on the bed, just shy of resting his back against hers. Perhaps she should have been a little more frustrated with the fact that he was clearly eavesdropping, again. But as it was she was just glad to have him there. And he at least had the sense to give her an apologetic smile.

"sorry to pop in like this… i uh… couldn't help but overhear."

"I assumed as much." She sighed, returning her gaze back down to the floor. "Did you manage to find out anything further from… him?"

After a long moment without a response, he shrugged, and she felt the movement against her back.

"not really, aside from some of the equipment he was thinking of having us potentially use. and the confirmation that yes... he was inspired to do this partially because of his experiments with raine. he's keeping the specifics under wraps of what his exact plans are until we give him an answer though."

It wasn't what she was hoping to hear. But then again, she wasn't sure _what_ she wanted to hear. Other than perhaps an admission by Gaster that this was all some twisted ruse. She felt her claws curl into her lap, but kept her expression and voice steady.

"I feel I have spoken my feelings on the matter clearly enough." She said, turning her head to look back at Sans once more. "Tell me, my dear. Is there… any part of you that thinks this is actually worth considering?"

A heavy silence followed her words, where both she and the children were awaiting his answer. The tension was palpable amongst all of them, but she did her best to keep her emotions in check this time.

Sans certainly wasn't eager to answer either. As awful as all of this was making her feel, she knew it couldn't truly compare to what Sans was grappling with. This was the monster who had tormented and abused him all throughout his early life. And now Sans was being asked to decide whether to potentially allow such a monster access to the people he loved.

He began to tremble ever so slightly against her in silence, long enough that she feared he may not give an answer. But eventually, a heavy, strained sigh escaped him and he massaged the bridge of his nasal ridge with his phalanges.

"if i put aside everything about him, everything he's done, the fact is that the scenario he laid out… doesn't sound awful." He admitted, the words seemingly being forced out of him as though being physically squeezed from his ribcage. "if me and al were the only ones working with the kiddos, only following whatever process he's got planned if we deem it safe and reasonable, then… i guess it wouldn't hurt to think about giving it a chance."

He sat up more then, turning to meet her gaze as his eyelights guttered out.

"i'm not saying he's being honest with his intentions, stars knows he isn't doing this out of any kindness of his heart. but whatever's left of that mind of his is just about the only thing left of him that would be useful to us now. would be nice to get _something_ in return for putting up with his bs until he kicks the bucket."

The children shifted uneasily, clearly still unsure on how to take that answer. By what seemed to be instinct, Flowey looked up at her expectantly. She wished the reassuring look she wanted to project then would come to her, but it just couldn't push past everything else. She moved a paw over the soft petals on his head, focusing on keeping her thoughts from reeling from it all.

"Do you agree with Asgore then, that he would be capable of what he is proposing?" She asked, a hint of strain leaking into her voice despite herself.

It didn't take nearly as long for Sans to offer up an answer then, but it still took him a few long moments before he reluctantly nodded.

"yah." He confirmed softly, sockets remaining pitch black. "the guy is about as sick as they come, but he knows more about souls and pushing the boundaries of what's possible more than anyone else."

He reached up and gripped lightly at the spot on his shirt above where his soul lied in his ribcage.

"for better and for worse."

A sharp twinge of pain shot through her own soul at that, and she silently moved her paw over to rest it over his free hand. He didn't offer much of a response, but she did feel his stiff posture relax by degrees. She gave his hand a consoling stroke and turned her attention back to her children, who were now looking even more conflicted over how to feel.

"Do you think Chara would be willing to talk with me now?" She asked gently, knowing there was no chance of coming to a conclusion without their input.

Frisk blinked and shared a look with Flowey. Whatever was communicated through that look, she couldn't make out, but it did lead to Frisk nodding in response. They shut their eyes for a long moment, and repeated experience with this caused her to notice the subtle changes in their posture and breathing as control over their body was passed to the other human child.

Soon enough, their eyes slid open again, far wider and now with a distinct scarlet hue. In comparison to Frisk's, their eyes now seemed far more haunted as well. They dropped their gaze quickly though, hiding their expression beneath the shadow of their messy hair.

"There you are." Toriel said in a sad, but warm tone. "I fear I have not given enough consideration to how you are taking all this in. Gaster is primarily targeting you with this… "offer" after all."

They still didn't look at her, but offered a dismissive shrug. They then set Flowey's pot down on the edge of the bed and crossed their arms with a huff.

"It all sounds way too good to be true. Not to mention vague." They grumbled, shifting their weight from foot to foot as they resisted the urge to pace. "I don't trust that guy, I never have. And he's especially weird and creepy now."

They fidgeted uncomfortably, and Toriel noticed them digging their fingers into their arm a bit as their grip tightened. It was an old habit of theirs that she recognized even now.

"Besides… I don't… know if I really deserve that." They admitted, with a shaky, strained smile. "To have a body and be normal again, I mean. I died already. I still don't even know why I am still here. I thought for sure once Frisk got to the surface, I'd disappear to wherever I deserved to go in the first place. But… I'm still here."

Something about their tone then made it impossible for Toriel not to lean forward and rest a comforting paw on their shoulder. She silently implored for them to look at her, and waited until their scarlet eyes met her own.

"My child..." The words left her shakier than she expected, and she had to steady herself before continuing. "You are most certainly here with us again for a reason. Though I, nor anyone else can decide for you what that reason is, I believe it is to give you and your brother a second chance after you were so cruelly taken from this world. You both certainly deserve that chance. All that and more. You deserved it from the start, and I am so sorry that you had to endure all that you have, even after…"

She worried her lip with her fangs, unable to put the next part into words. She ended up moving on, recognizing that it wasn't as important right now as everything else.

"If there was any chance you could be happier and better off than you are now, you would deserve it, without a doubt." She assured them, giving them a light squeeze on their shoulder.

Her expression darkened again though and she looked away for the moment, as the reality of the situation once again weighed on her.

"Though, I still do not know how much if any of what Gaster is suggesting is real."

No one spoke up right away in the wake of those words, all silently grappling with the situation in their own way. For Toriel, it was a matter of all that reasonable doubt flooding in again, wishing to harden her against even considering this madness. But to her surprise, that was not the conclusion Chara seemed to be coming to. All the telltale signs were there that they were having one of their silent conversations with Frisk, and from the look on their face, they were softening to the idea.

"Maybe then... it's worth a try? Frisk seems onboard at least." Chara said at last, confirming her fears. "And like Sans said, it's not like the creep in there will be the one doing anything to us."

Their gaze briefly settled on her middle and they rubbed the back of their neck as the blush on their cheeks grew even more noticeable. Though they tried to hide it with a frown.

"And I guess… it'd be… kinda cool to be able to meet the new baby as myself, as a face they can remember as being _me_ , y'know?" They admitted, not meeting her eyes as they spoke.

"So long as it's not your creepy face." Flowey cut in.

His comment earned him a pinch on one of his petals from Chara. After some grumbling between the two before Toriel put an end to it with a warning look, Flowey sighed and looked up at their sibling with a more serious expression.

"Eh what the heck, it should be interesting enough to see what happens anyway." He relented, before glancing down at his paw-like leaves. "And it'd be nice to potentially not be _quite_ as worried about how these changes might end bad for me."

And just like that, Toriel felt cornered again. The only one still standing firmly against something she saw as far too great a risk. It reminded her somewhat of that day she stood on the balcony above Asgore as he made his declaration of war and genocide against humanity. The only defector in a sea of assent.

But this time, she couldn't argue away every point that was made. And if she continued to do so, she may only be crushing her children's one and only chance to potentially live somewhat normal lives. As close to normal as beings like them could hope for anyway. Even if she didn't trust Gaster in any way, shape, or form, he _had_ been right about one thing. Her children's futures were uncertain, and she couldn't just continue to push that aside in her mind and silently pray no issues would arise any longer.

And there was that sliver of hope that perhaps, just perhaps, Gaster's ill-gotten knowledge could serve some final good before the bastard crumbled to dust.

She heaved a sigh, now feeling that Sans was the one offering a subtle, comforting touch as she did so.

"If it is for you, my children, I will put my own fears aside and do what you need of me in this case. So long as one of us is present during whatever happens, and Gaster is not permitted to lay a hand on either of you." She conceded, shutting her eyes. "But I advise you not to put too much stock into any of this, the chance of any of it panning out in the way we imagine is slim."

As their eyes lit up with hesitant excitement over what this could all mean, Toriel struggled not to feel sick over what she had just agreed to. She could already picture Gaster's smug face, filled with dark satisfaction over how he'd managed to manipulate them all. She wasn't looking forward to facing her ex-husband again either. Maybe Asgore wouldn't be smug about it, but the idea still made her feel that vile mix of guilt and resentment that she was doing her best in recent times to avoid.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt Sans get up from behind her.

"welp, guess that's that then." He said with a subtle stretch. "i'll let al know."

He glanced back at her, no doubt noticing the confliction still evident in her expression.

"don't think of it as giving him what he wants tori." He said, giving her a weary smile. "trust me, i'm not exactly thrilled by the idea either. just being in the room with the guy makes me want to hurl. but try and look at it as making the best of a bad situation. for all his smug posturing in there, the doc is still dying. he's not getting out of that. and now we're stuck with him until that happens. this at least gives us the chance of gaining something other than renewed trauma from it all."

A single dry chuckle escaped him at that, before his false grin fell a bit and his sockets went dark. He raised his voice a bit as he continued speaking, so the children could hear him.

"and you know, the second i or al feels something's off with whatever he's suggesting, it all stops. i won't do anything i don't feel confident attempting with them, and you know she won't either. and if ol g ends up pitchin' a fit over that, well... he'll just have to deal with it. he does this by our terms or not at all."

Despite everything, she managed a weak smile at that. If only for how seriously he was trying to reassure her, the children, and no doubt himself as well. It couldn't be easy, and no matter how much she knew her own paranoia would remain tightly wound around her soul, she wanted to be sure he knew she recognized his efforts. Despite his far more personal connection with Gaster and his cruelty, he was no doubt being the levelheaded one at the moment.

"I know, love, I trust you." She said quietly, looking into the deep darkness of his sockets until the lights in them slowly returned.

In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to pull him into a hug and just hold him for a while. Surely his ability to endure the strain of all that was happening would be waning again by now. But with the children watching and the situation being what it was, she would have to settle for what she could speak with her gaze whilst they moved forward with the pressing questions.

"Just… how soon does this need to happen?" She asked, having to all but force the words out.

Chara and Flowey seemed equally interested in that question, looking at Sans expectantly. Their eyes were wide with equal parts anxiety and a hesitant sort of excitement. The skeleton hummed thoughtly and drummed his phalanges against his chin as he pondered the question. Given how long it took for him to reply, she surmised the answer must not be a simple one.

"probably sooner rather than later, unfortunately…" Sans said at last, slipping his hands back into his hoodie pockets with a sigh. "he's not deteriorating as quickly as i thought he would, but there's no telling when his mind will end up just as mush as the rest of him. then any useful knowledge he has would be lost."

It wasn't what any of them wanted to hear. Making this decision was hard enough, but to have such a pressing matter of time for it to mean anything only made things worse. Chara and Flowey shared a nervous glance, before both attempted to play it off. Toriel just felt the cold knot around her soul grow tighter.

Days ago, her children would have never even considered that they could live their lives in the bodies they'd once lost. Or perhaps something new, but similar enough to be familiar. They'd all been doing their best just to adjust and find happiness in the lives they currently had. Then to be given such a sudden, narrow window of opportunity whilst Gaster dangled that world changing offer over them like a carrot on a stick. It was simply cruel, even beyond whatever his true intentions were.

"i wouldn't be surprised if your cooking bought him a few more days though." Sans suddenly spoke up again, breaking her from her thoughts. "not sure whether to consider that a good or a bad thing. maybe you oughta stop all that once he does what he's promising"

There was a bit of a chuckle to his voice again, and his grin widened to almost look genuine. Dark humor or not, the statement didn't seem to sit well with Frisk. Enough so that they were suddenly the one in control again, without Toriel even noticing the shift. They shot him an uneasy look, though she suspected that it was fueled more by their own conflicting emotions than anything else. Such jokes were hardly rare coming from him, but he recognized then that they may land differently given the situation.

"alright alright, sorry kiddo." He said, maintaining his smile but giving Frisk's hair a consoling ruffle. "you know i was just joking around… mostly."

If not for her powerful ears, Toriel may not have caught that last bit. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help cracking a bit of a smile when he winked in her direction. No matter how much time passed, his ability to maintain some levity no matter the situation would always impress her.

His expression did grow more serious after a moment though as he looked down at Frisk. As was typical of him, he seemed to be picking up on their thoughts just from the look in their eyes. And what he saw was what finally made his grin falter.

"you absolutely sure about this?" He asked, tone surprisingly gentle. "all of ya?"

Flowey simply gave an unenthused nod, though Toriel had little doubt Sans could also see how stiff and uneasy he still was. Frisk was less shy about their convictions and gave a far more confident nod. The flash of scarlet in their eyes showed that it was mutual amongst both human children. Though Chara's influence rapidly faded once more after they'd shared their answer, leaving Frisk in control for the time being.

A thoughtful frown remained on their face, and it was clear they still had more to say. Then they reached up and gave Sans' jacket a gentle tug. He got the message and leaned down closer to their level, though for a monster as small as him it meant he didn't have to lean very far. Once they'd set Flowey down on the bed, Frisk fidgeted with their hands hesitantly before lifting them up to sign.

(Don't you think... we should help your Dad before he's gone?) They asked. (Like I helped everyone else? If I just took some time to understand him, I might learn what to say to maybe… at least make him want to apologize for what he did to you?)

They looked just the slightest bit hopeful, which only made the impact of their words land more painfully. Toriel's soul seized up inside her, knowing how difficult those questions may be for Sans. She moved forward, intending to gently dissuade Frisk away from the subject for his sake, but he subtly held up his hand to stop her.

She blinked, surprised by that, but sat back regardless. Her worries abated some once he gave her a small, but reassuring smile, but she still looked between the two nervously. Frisk could tell they had possibly said something they shouldn't have, but didn't shy away when Sans laid his hand on their shoulder.

"listen buddy,… the sad truth is... you can't always save everyone." He said, shutting his sockets briefly. "sometimes people get so consumed by things like their desire for revenge, their greed or whatever, for so long, that there just isn't anything good left inside. it's like uh… trying to eat a banana that's been in the dumpster for a month. you could try, but it sure wouldn't end well."

Frisk managed a little smile at that last bit, and Flowey even failed to hide a snort of amusement. That seemed to encourage Sans to continue more confidently.

"my pops is like that. a mushy, moldy, smelly old banana." He said, lazily tracing a banana shape in the air with his free hand before returning it to his side. "he's never going to be sorry for what he did. he's never going to have a sudden change of heart and realize just how much misery he inflicted on so many people. he had years and years of watching us after his accident to come to that conclusion, and never did. there's just no helping a guy like that. there's no sense wasting your time and talents on a guy like him. it's not your fault that he's the way he is, kiddo. and it's not your responsibility to try and fix that."

He gave their shoulder a small squeeze, expression gaining back some seriousness.

"try and let us adults handle stuff like this for once, alright? i know you're an awesome little ambassador, and helping people against all odds is kinda your whole thing, but you're also still a kid, frisk. you've done so much for all of us, and we need to be doing more to look out for you now than we did back in the underground."

A flicker of regret passed over his eyelights then, leaving them duller than before. Frisk stared up at him for a long moment, looking surprised by what they just heard. For all of her child's merciful and hopeful inclinations, they were equal parts stubborn. She knew that there must be a part of them then that was determined to be the one to help "Save" Gaster no matter what. But Sans' words had managed to resonate in a way they hadn't been prepared for.

Her poor child… did they really not ever consider that in an ideal world, they should have never had to be the one to save them all in the first place? Did they truly have no ill will towards the monsters they encountered, however small, for not treating them and protecting them like the child they were? They had all failed Frisk in that way at some point on their journey, there was no avoiding that fact. No matter how her child themself even attempted to justify it by saying it was the only path that led to their freedom in the end.

Even if the pieces had to fall the way they did in order for them to all be here today, it wouldn't erase the guilt each one of them felt deep down for how their first encounters with the human child had gone.

And now seemed to be the first time Frisk recognized and understood that guilt clearly. Toriel had tried to express similar things to them in the past, but Sans always had a succinct way of putting things like this that they responded well too. They glanced between her and Sans once more, the defiance slowly fading from their eyes. They seemed to reflect the youthfulness that should have been there all along. It was a sight that was far too rare.

Conceding, Frisk simply gave a single nod before throwing their arms around Sans in a tight hug. Once his arms were around them in return, they relaxed into them, just letting the skeleton hold them close for a few moments. The sight of her child and dear skeleton this way warmed Toriel's soul to its core.

Not too long ago, there would have been a time Sans would hesitate when faced with moments like this with Frisk. As those dark and twisted timelines they'd both weathered through reopened old wounds between them against both their wills. But Toriel noticed that there wasn't any of that this time. He returned the child's hug without any hesitation, and affectionately mussed up their hair afterwards. One would never expect the truth behind the past they shared.

Despite everything, their interactions couldn't help but make Toriel think of what sort of father Sans would turn out to be. And perhaps… just perhaps… the little soul growing within her wouldn't be the only child for which he held that title. Especially if there truly was hope that her two human children could indeed live separate lives from one another.

But oh, she mustn't speculate over such things now. There were far more pressing matters to attend to.

"Come now, children." She said, carefully rising her feet. "I am sure Asgore is looking for you. Just try and enjoy your time over there like you normally do. We will let you know if and when we go ahead with… whatever happens regarding Gaster."

Frisk smiled up at her and nodded, taking her paw as she offered it to them. Flowey said nothing, having slipped into his own thoughts again, but didn't offer any opposition. She motioned with her head for Sans to follow and he appeared as though he were going to do so. But all of a sudden, he veered the opposite direction, walking towards the open bathroom door. She simply giggled once to herself and rolled her eyes, continuing towards the living room.

Sure enough, he was inexplicably there once she arrived, leaning casually against the wall.

"took you guys long enough." He quipped with a wink, earning a soft laugh from Frisk.

Together they joined the others, who had remained in the living room area despite it all. Any lightheartedness quickly evaporated as each rejoined the family circle. With everything that had happened, Toriel had almost forgotten that the last time the others had seen her was when she had suffered quite the loss in composure. They were looking at her with wide, concerned eyes. All except Asgore at least, who simply looked somber and sympathetic.

She cleared her throat, working quickly to gain back some level of seriousness. It was hard to meet all of their eyes after what they had witnessed from her, but she didn't move her gaze away from their faces. In an effort to avoid any discussion of _that_ as well as get the others up to speed with the current plan, Toriel quickly shared what had happened since she stormed off earlier, with Sans and the children occasionally chiming in to support what she was saying.

It was not at all easy to essentially be going back on what she'd quite vehemently made her feelings known on before. But there was no choice, it had to be done. Even though it still made her skin crawl to think of just what may happen when the fateful encounter occurred. Thankfully for her, the others seemed far less focused on being surprised at her complete 180 on the subject and far more focused on their own mixed feelings.

"So, after all that, we're just going to give in?" Undyne asked, bewildered. "Just because there is a chance he might know something we don't?"

She jabbed a webbed finger towards her patched eye.

"We're talking about the guy who did _this_ to me. Are we forgetting that?"

"We are certainly _not_." Toriel clarified firmly. "If anything at all comes up in the process that we feel threatens the children's safety, it all ends. He will not touch them, and he will have no real control over what happens and what does not."

The fish monster set her jaw as she processed that, facial fins flicking in irritation. She looked to Sans as if expecting to hear him dismiss it all as a joke, but he said nothing. Alphys lightly touched her arm, managing to help calm her girlfriend some with that small act. They shared a meaningful look, then Undyne's one eyed gaze was directed to Frisk and Flowey. Seeing them made her expression soften further. Though her mouth remained in a toothy sneer, her eye reflected that her defiance was fading.

"I guess if it's for you punks, It's worth a try." She relented, before abruptly puffing up back to her full bravado. "But if he gives you any hint of trouble, you holler and I'll give him a pounding that he'll feel well into the afterlife!"

Though it was an extreme sort of offer, Frisk and Flowey seemed to appreciate it nonetheless. The human child even gave her a thumbs up, which she enthusiastically returned.

"When will this be happening then?" Asgore asked, also keeping his worried gaze on the little ones.

Alphys tapped her claws against the end of her snout in thought.

"Judging from wh-what I saw of his v-vitals earlier… he's actually m-moderately stabilized in a lot of ways compared to when he first arrived, though I would suspect it only reflects a stall in his overall decline…"

She gulped, pushing up her glasses a bit before continuing.

"I would estimate that he has about a m-month at the most, where he's still… m-mentally where he is now. Mostly. Though there's a-always the chance it could be more or l-less than that, depending on what happens."

She looked away then, wringing her hands a bit. There was a pause where everyone in the room was silently connecting the dots, but eventually she did try to put what they were all thinking into words.

"And then… it pr-probably wouldn't be much longer before he... y'know…"

Toriel nodded grimly, unsure how to feel about the honest relief she felt at that. It didn't feel right to be looking forward to anyone's passing. But with Gaster…

"Perhaps we should aim for moving forward on this next weekend then, when we should all be free to be able to be here." Asgore's words drew her attention back to him. "If he is fated to die before long, then I suppose it wouldn't exactly be worthwhile to pursue any sort of greater punishment for his crimes. Not when that would risk him potentially escaping."

Neither of those suggestions sat well with her. Though she knew deep down that both _were_ the reasonable ones to make at this point. The more time she spent putting it off, the higher chance there was of her losing her will to go through with it. And in regards to Gaster's final fate… her opinion was not the one that truly mattered here.

She watched as Asgore went over and laid his large paws on the skeleton brothers' shoulders. That sorrowful guilt that so often clouded his gaze returned, dulling the bright colors of his eyes.

"I can assure you both though, that it will be known what he did to you and all the others who suffered for his quest for revenge. Any renown he had for his past achievements… will be revoked."

He bowed his head a bit towards them, shoulders sagging.

"I am afraid that that… and my deepest apologies… is all I can offer you both. For being blind to everything that was going on right under my nose for all those years..."

Neither Sans nor Papyrus looked as though they really knew what to say in return. Both just blinked up at the king of monsters and shared a few uncertain glances until Sans finally let soft, humorless chuckle.

"heh, no need for dramatics for my sake, asgore." He said weakly, shrugging off the boss monster's paw. "i never blamed you. my pops is and was a manipulator through and through. and he sure knew how to keep things hidden, heh. if you had any idea what was happening, i know you woulda put a stop to it."

He rubbed the back of his neck as a flurry of different emotions flickered through his eyelights, all seeming to drain energy from him. He finally just shut them, and forced a small smile.

"but uh… thanks. i… i appreciate it." He said, tone shifting to become more genuine.

"WE ARE BOTH VERY GRATEFUL." Papyrus agreed, speaking up for the first time in a while.

He too carried that same conflicted weight in his voice, but he was still doing his best to project his usual positive attitude.

"AND I KNOW HE WAS YOUR FRIEND, YOUR HIGHNESS. IT MUST BE HARD FOR YOU TO HEAR THE FULL TRUTH AND SEE WHAT HE HAS BECOME, AND TO SAY AND DO ALL THIS FOR US. SO I MUST THANK YOU FOR THAT AS WELL."

Toriel felt a twinge of pain that even now, Papyrus was thinking of others over himself.

"It is my duty as king to see that justice is served wherever possible, Papyrus." Asgore said with a solemn shake of his head. "Whatever the past may be, it is clear what must be done now to ensure things are made as right as they can be."

Papyrus gave a nod, but didn't offer any further reply. Toriel waited a few moments, expecting and even hoping the usually talkative skeleton would have more to say, but he remained silent. Did he not intend to tell the others about his future plans at least? While the idea concerned her, she didn't mention it, figuring he must have some reason for keeping it from the others.

"Well, I suppose we have a plan then." She said, speaking up to address everyone. "Thank you all for coming today. I know that… this has been a lot to contend with. If you ever need to come back for whatever reason regarding… him… the door is always open to you."

She looked down at her children, who still carried a good deal of trepidation and concern in their young eyes. Oh how she wanted to insist they just stay with her so she could continue to help them through this, but she knew that this was for the best. Even beyond remaining loyal to hers and Asgore's agreement. In all honesty… it was better the children were kept as far from Gaster as possible before the day came…

After taking a steadying breath, she worked up a smile and leaned down to hug them both.

"Be good my children, all right?" She said, holding them tight for a long moment. "You know I am always a phone call away if you need me."

Frisk nodded against her, returning the hug with their free arm. Flowey remained silent, but she noted he didn't make a fuss like he usually would in these situations. It was hard, but after allowing herself another beat where she knew her children were safe in her arms, she reluctantly released them. After a final little wave from Frisk, they walked over to Asgore who was waiting for them with an offered paw.

The others shared their uneasy goodbyes, but even as she returned them, she couldn't keep her gaze away from Asgore and the children for long. She watched them anxiously until the doors to Asgore's large van shut, sealing them away from her view. A cold feeling settled over her then, left to grapple with the potential costs of what she'd just agreed to.

It was only when she heard the skeleton brother's talking that her attention was pulled from the window. As she looked away, she heard the sound of the van leaving and forced herself not to look back. She couldn't keep letting her paranoia get to her like this.

"sorry, guess you didn't get to tell em your big news, huh bro?" Sans said as she stepped over, looking up at the oddly quiet younger skeleton.

"THAT IS QUITE ALRIGHT, BROTHER." Papyrus replied quickly, but without his usual pep. "I WOULD MUCH RATHER TELL THEM WHEN THINGS ARE NOT QUITE AS… TENSE."

He fidgeted his gloved hands together then gave Sans an almost apologetic smile.

"I THINK… I WILL GO SPEAK TO FATHER NOW." He said, with just a hint of firmness "ALONE..."

Sans stiffened, looking as though he had forgotten that he had agreed to let that happen. He stared up at his little brother for a long moment, eyelights wavering. He clearly wanted to protest even then, but he slowly let the breath he'd been holding whistle out through his teeth.

"'alright bro." He conceded softly, shoulders slumping.

"AND _NO_ EAVESDROPPING, BROTHER." Papyrus pressed, waggling a phalange disapprovingly.

"yeah yeah…" He replied with a shrug, slipping his hands back into his hoodie pockets. "just… be careful, alright?"

The fact Sans had no quip to add or even a fake smile to give was evidence enough for Toriel that he was still struggling with the idea. But there seemed to be no stopping it now. She felt a pang in her soul as she realized he was going through what she herself was dreading. Worse still, he couldn't even accompany his brother into the room. Toriel couldn't imagine having to adhere to that when her children faced their dark visitor again.

But while Papyrus clearly noticed Sans' lack of enthusiasm, he himself seemed to perk up once it was clear his older brother wasn't going to try and stop him.

"WORRY NOT! THE GREAT PAPYRUS _ALWAYS_ CONSIDERS THE RISKS OF A GIVEN TASK, IN ORDER TO BEST OVERCOME THEM!" He assured him, sounded far more like his usual self.

Toriel and Sans both couldn't help but give him a dubious look, and his expression grew a bit sheepish.

"ER… OR WELL, I MOST DEFINITELY HAVE IN THIS CASE." He clarified, before putting forth an earnest, reassuring smile. "I'LL BE FINE."

With that, clearly wanting to avoid the possibility of any attempts to stop him, he quickly turned and began heading towards the hallway. Sans noticeably stiffened at that, and she could see the confliction flickering through his eyelights as he watched his brother enter the dark hallway. As much as Toriel also yearned to say something to keep Papyrus out of that room, she knew that this had to happen. And deep down, Sans did too.

She laid her a paw on his shoulder, silently encouraging him away from the hallway. He didn't follow along right away, but once she quietly assured him they'd stay close in case Papyrus called for them, he relented with a soft sigh.

They began to head towards the living room, but the strain of everything that had happened was starting to really sink in for her. That mixed with the little one stirring up her magic made a wave of nausea sweep over her again. It caused her to briefly stop walking, and the discomfort was clear enough on her face to make Sans grow concerned.

"tori?" He questioned her, laying a small hand on her arm.

"Sorry, it is just uh… the little one has been making me feel a little nauseous is all." She quickly reassured him once the brunt of the feeling had passed.

That didn't banish the worry from his expression, and she couldn't help but feel guilty that he was only being made to feel more stressed out because of this. But the fact that he could at least act on his concern for her seemed to make up for it some.

"c'mon, sit down. you shouldn't be pushing yourself." He said, ushering her towards the couch. "sit tight, i'll getcha some water."

She did as he asked, resisting the urge to lay down completely if only because she knew she would probably end up falling asleep after all that. Goodness, perhaps he really was rubbing off on her after all. She did let her eyes briefly fall shut as she listened to his light footfalls retreat back into the kitchen. She couldn't help but also focus her hearing for any potential sounds coming from the distant hallway. But whatever was transpiring between father and son in that room, it wasn't loud enough for her to pick up on.

Maybe she had dozed somewhat, because the next moment she was blinking her eyes open to see Sans there, offering her a freshly filled water bottle. She quietly thanked him and downed a few careful swallows, hoping it wouldn't further agitate her unsettled magic. As she did, she patted the space next to her on the couch, and Sans fell back into it like a laundry bag carelessly tossed aside.

They were both quiet until she set the water bottle back down on the coffee table in front of them. She moved to rest her paw on her middle, silently urging the little one to settle. Thankfully the waster seem to take the edge of the nausea, and she felt her future child's tiny pulse of magic thrumming calmly as it met her own. Sans noticed what she was doing and sighed, resting his skull against her.

"i hate this." He said with an empty, strained little chuckled. "i hate that he's here ruining everything when we should be focusing on the little guy."

She gave a sad smile in return and eased an arm around him.

"There there now, try not to fret too much, my dear." She murmured, holding him close. "The baby will not be here for quite some time after all, long after Gaster is…"

She paused, swallowing uncomfortably.

"...out of the picture. There will be plenty of time for doing nothing but preparing for their arrival soon enough. As miserable an experience as it is dealing with Gaster, I am grateful that all this mess is happening now rather than later. Had he showed up here when I was nearing the end of this, I am quite certain I would not have been able to be as levelheaded as I managed to be."

Sans gave a weak chuckle at that, but didn't offer any sort of reply. She could tell he was getting lost in thought again, and she felt the need to try and keep whatever worries were swirling about his mind from becoming consuming.

"Now that we have a plan on what's happening next sorted out, I suppose we still have the rest of the weekend ahead to do something apart from stressing over him." She pointed out, managing to work up a bit of lightheartedness in her voice.

As she hoped, her words managed to direct his attention back to her. His hazy eyelights flicked up to her curiously before he eased his sockets shut again.

"yeah, i guess." He replied, stretching a bit before continuing. "you got something in mind?"

For a moment, his response left her drawing a blank. She hadn't actually thought of anything in particular when she suggested that. After a moment of picking through the usual possibilities though, she remembered something that could end up being perfect.

"Well… now that you mention it…" She said, a more genuine smile appearing on her face. "I do have an idea of something we could do tomorrow that does pertain to the baby, if you are interested."

Sans blinked up at her, quirking a brow ridge curiously. It seemed her smile was somewhat infectious, as his own grin softened into something far more natural.

"sure thing, tori. what is it?"

A welcome warm feeling washed over her soul as the idea became far more real. After all the stress and distraction they'd been forced to endure because of their unwanted guest, they certainly could use this.

"Something Dogaressa suggested to me a little while ago." She clarified, eyes twinkling a bit. "I think you will like it."


End file.
